Bhindranwale a martyr, Khattar has hurt Sikhs, says SGPC chief

: Criticising Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s move to cancel his visit to a gurdwara in Karnal (Haryana) over the portrait of slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale put up there, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal on Monday said “Bhindranwale is our quami shaheed (community martyr) and Khattar has hurt Sikh sentiments by cancelling the visit”.

The Haryana chief minister was scheduled to visit the gurdwara at Dachar village on September 29, but he put the condition of first removing the portrait of Bhindranwale from the gurdwara. After gurdwara authorities refused to fulfil his condition, Khattar skipped the visit. This angered local Sikhs who damaged a fire tender in protest.

Replying to a query at Golden Temple, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president said, “This is unfortunate that he (Khattar) did not go to the gurdwara, leaving the local Sikhs disappointed. He should not have done so as the local Sikhs wanted him to take part in the programme.”

“Bhindranwale is a saint for the Sikhs and he has rendered service to the community. The anger shown by the local Sikhs against this move was natural,” Longowal said, who heads the body which is under the control of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), an alliance partner of BJP that Khattar represents.

DAMDAMI TAKSAL TOO SEEKS APOLOGY

Harnam Singh Dhumma, the head of Damdami Taksal, which was once headed by Bhindranwale, sought a apology from the Haryana CM. He said, “BJP’s approach towards Sikhs looks like that of Congress and it has enraged the Sikhs.”

He said, “Bhindranwale was awarded the title of great Sikh of the 20th century by the Akal Takht. By showing disrespect to him, Khattar has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs in Haryana and elsewhere.”

KHATTAR ON SEPT 29 SKIPPED HIS VISIT TO GURDWARA AFTER HE PUT THE CONDITION OF REMOVING PORTRAIT OF BHINDRANWALE