Rights body accuses SGPC of hiding damage to holy books

AMRITSAR: A non-government human rights organisation has accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of hiding the damage caused by fire in 2016 to scores of saroops (copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib, Amritsar, where these saroops are printed.

The apex gurdwara management committee is already under fire for missing of rare manuscripts in the Sikh Reference Library.

Citing its findings in a letter written to the Punjab chief secretary, a copy of which was also sent to the Akal Takht Jathedar, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) said, “It has been found in the gurdwara body record that Guru Granth Sahib printing house is short of 267 holy saroops.”

“As many as 80 saroops were burnt. Others were damaged with the water of fire tenders on May 19, 2016. Probe of this incident should have been conducted because sacrilege incidents were taking place in Punjab then. Instead of investigating it, the then SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and senior officials opted for cremating the saroops which get wet with water, at Goindwal Sahib secretly,” PHRO investigator Sarabjit Singh Verka.

The gurdwara committee hid the incident on the directions of the leaders of the Akali Dal which controls it and was in power at that time in Punjab, the rights body claimed.

“Actually, the SAD-BJP government was under fire due to sacrilege incidents in Faridkot district. In order to prevent more criticism ahead of the 2017 assembly polls, the SAD leaders ordered the SGPC to keep the matter under wraps,” reads the letter.

SGPC spokesperson Kulwinder Singh Ramdas said, “We have received no copy of this.if the allegations are proved to be true, those responsible will not be spared.”

SAYS THE GURDWARA COMMITTEE HID THE INCIDENT ON AT THE BEHEST OF AKALI DAL WHICH WAS IN POWER AT THAT TIME IN PUNJAB