Statue removal demand: SGPC backs Sikh bodies

AKAL TAKHT-FORMED PANEL TO CALL ON AMRITSAR DC TODAY, SUBMIT REPORT TO JATHEDAR IN FIVE DAYS

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Thursday supported the demand of Sikh bodies for removal of folk dancers’ statues raised by the previous SAD-BJP government on Heritage Street in Amritsar. On January 15, eight men were arrested for trying to vandalise statues of folk dancers on Heritage Street. Later, various Sikh organisations have demanded that the statues be replaced with that of Sikh warriors and martyrs. They say Punjabi and Sikh culture are different and both should not be mixed.

The SGPC decision came after a meeting of a four-member committee constituted by the Akal Takht, highest temporal seat of Sikhs, to resolve the issue. The committee has three SGPC members — apex gurdwara body chief secretary Roop Singh, additional secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhoora Kohna and Mehta. The fourth member is Chief Khalsa Diwan president Nirmal Singh.

SGPC senior vice-president Rajinder Singh Mehta, one of the members of the committee, said they respect the sentiments of the Sikh community on this issue. He said the administration should take decision on the statues at the earliest, but did not say what kind of decision the committee wants.

To a question why the issue was not raised during SAD-BJP tenure, Mehta said: “We are not concerned about the past. We are talking about the present. It courted controversy recently.” The subcommittee will meet DC on Friday and submit report in five days, said Mehta.