Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “restrain” Maharashtra Government from going ahead with its “arbitrary” decision to reduce the representation of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board at Nanded.
The Maharashtra Cabinet recently approved the report of Bhatia Committee that recommended reducing the representation of Amritsar-based SGPC, led by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) from the existing four to one.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, copy of which was circulated to the media, Badal said that this was not an ordinary administrative decision as it concerned the sentiments and religious traditions of Sikh community.
He said that the Congress-led government had also decided to deny membership to Chief Khalsa Diwan, one of the oldest Sikh institution which was earlier represented on the Board.
“This anti-Sikh decision is a part of a deep-rooted conspiracy of the Congress to lower the dignity of Sikh religious institutions, including Takht Sri Hazur Sahib and the SGPC,” he alleged.
Appealing to the Prime Minister to prevent the situation from getting worse, Badal said that the Centre should take appropriate measures to refrain Maharashtra Government from going ahead with this “unwarranted dangerous move”.
“The tension generated by their unwarranted interference in Sikh religious affairs in Haryana is still raging…The action of the Maharashtra Government now is bound to further vitiate the atmosphere as there could be no moral, political or religious justifications for such interference,” he claimed.