‘Have asked SGPC to look into minister Randhawa’s objections’
AMRITSAR:The deadlock between the Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over joint celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at Sultanpur Lodhi is refusing to die down. A coordination panel was constituted on the directions of the Akal Takht to resolve the issue . Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, one of the government nominees in the panel, has alleged that SGPC ignored the panel while inviting President Ram Nath Kovind. Randhawa has written a letter to Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh in this regard. Surjeet Singh talks to the jathedar over the issue:
Will your efforts of holding joint celebrations of 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak be fruitful in view of the impasse that continues between the government and SGPC?
We should keep on making efforts. We shouldn’t bother if we get success or not. Rest depends on Guru Sahib who is to make these efforts successful. Akal Takht Sahib represents sentiments of the entire Sikh community which wants this gurpurb to be celebrated jointly.
What have you done about the grievances raised by cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa against the SGPC?
We have forwarded Randhawa’s letter to the SGPC president asking him to ponder over his objections. However, the minister has the right to put up these objections in the meeting of the coordination committee. He must speak to the SGPC representatives in the meeting. Let’s see what happens.
Randhawa has alleged that SGPC violated the Akal Takht directive by ignoring the coordination panel while giving an invite to President Ram Nath Kovind. Do you agree?
I have done what I needed to do by passing on the objections to the SGPC in written. Now If Randhawa wants to raise the issue in the panel meeting, he can do so. For what purpose was the panel formed? Both sides should understand each other.
Won’t you intervene into the matter to resolve the differences between the two sides ?
We have formed a committee. They should put up their objections in its meeting. We asked both sides to sit together and discuss the issues to reach a consensus to hold the anniversary functions jointly. If anyone has grievances, these should be redressed mutually. However, Akal Takht Sahib will intervene if the need arises.