After taking a confrontationist stand in the last few days, the Haryana Government on Monday said that it will not forcibly take over the gurdwaras in the State from the Amritsar-based SGPC.
The announcement comes even though the State Government has passed an Act for the creation of separate committee for the management of the gurdwaras in Haryana, something fiercely opposed by Punjab Government.
Talking to the reporters here, Haryana Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh Chattha said that the State Government was against the use of force in taking possession of the Gurdwaras in the State, and hoped that the issue would be resolved by both Akali Dal (Haryana) and Akali Dal (Punjab) through mutual dialogue.
He, however, assailed the Amritsar-based SGPC’s strategy of positioning its task force to retain the possession of the shrines in Haryana and termed it as unfortunate. Chattha, who was ex-communicated by the Amritsar based Akal Takht for not appearing before it, said, “Everything will be done peacefully, there is no question of forcibly occupying the shrines.”
“This is not appropriate. Groups of 50-100 armed persons have entered the gurdwaras. But we will not confront them and try to resolve things in a peaceful manner,” he said.
According to Chattha, Amritsar-based SGPC supporters had converged in large numbers in key gurdwaras in Haryana to retain control over the Sikh shrines in the wake of Haryana Assembly recently passing a Bill for the formation of a separate body.
The Finance Minister also headed the Committee which recommended to the state government a separate body to manage Haryana Gurudwaras.
The Minister hoped that a “solution” can be worked out amicably between the two groups, paving a way for the smooth take over by the HSGPC of the shrines in the state, which are presently under Amritsar-based SGPC’s control.
Chattha also slammed Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, other Akali leaders and the SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar for launching a “disinformation campaign” to mislead people and flare up the issue of separate SGPC.
“Badal is trying to make it a big issue out of nothing. Everyone knows that he is doing so to find an excuse of handing over the baton to his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh,” Chattha claimed.
With Akali leadership terming the Haryana’s move as “unconstitutional”, Chattha said, “Badal, Makkar or anybody else cannot scrutinise the legislation passed by the Assembly which has become an Act and been notified after the Governor’s assent. This can be scrutinised by court and our Bill will stand till the last. If anybody has an objection, he is free to approach judiciary”.
Asked about the excommunication by Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of Sikhs, Chatta said, “though temporal authority may not consider me as Sikh but I am a Sikh and will remain a Sikh all my life. Being a Sikh, I will go to Harmandir Sahib to pay my obeisance. He said he had received a letter from Akal Takht but claimed he is yet to go through the content.