Slug it out in court: Phoolka

With Haryana Government constituting ad-hoc committee for the management of the Gurdwaras in the State, senior advocate and Aam Aadmi Party leader HS Phoolka on Wednesday asked both the ruling SAD in Punjab and Haryana Government to take control of Sikh shrines in Haryana “through court and not through police”.  

Giving “free legal advice” to the both rival factions, Phoolka asked them to move the Supreme Court for the solution, and “wait for final decision by the Court”. He said that the provocative speeches by Akali leaders and filling of Haryana Gurdwaras by armed men were “absolutely wrong”.

“The SAD is taking this action under the pretext of keeping Sikh Panth united, and at the same time, trying to create violence and disturb peace in gurdwaras… it is detrimental to the panth… If the SAD has been sincere that they do not want division in the panth, they should file the petition in the Supreme Court by now,” said Phoolka.

He pointed that the reason that SAD is not filing the petition itself shows that they are not sure about succeeding in the Supreme Court and the correctness of legal position propounded by them.

On the other hand, Phoolka appealed to the Sikh leaders of Haryana for not taking the help of police in taking control over Gurdwaras. “This could results in violence in Gurdwaras. Badals want violence in Gurdwaras at this moment because they have utterly failed on all fronts and want to take up issue of use of police by Haryana Government in Gurdwaras,” he said. Phoolka advised the HSGPC leaders to use other methods and to avoid police and violence.  “The best way to take over control is that after HSGPC is constituted, it should file a “suit for injunction” against SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, and SAD President Sukhbir Badal seeking Court orders that these persons and their agents should be restrained from interfering in management of Haryana Gurdwaras,” he said.

SAD raps Haryana

Chandigarh: Squarely blaming the Haryana Government for creating a separate State-level Gurdwara management committee, SAD general secretary and Punjab Irrigation Minister Sharanjit Dhillon said that this unconstitutional and unethical move on the part of Hooda Government was “politically motivated aimed at dividing the Sikh Sangat”.

Terming it as a “great betrayal with the Sikh Panth”, Dhillon said that the shoddy manner in which the State Government acted spoke volumes of the hidden agenda of the Hooda Government who was acting at the behest of Sonia Gandhi.

“They have deliberately got the bill passed in Money Bill category so that it could not be sent to the President for his approval….As per the Constitution, any Religious Bill comes under Civil Bill and this bill being a part of the concurrent list requires the approval of the President,” he added.

Expressing shock that Haryana Government has declared Sikh Gurdwaras as Government property under the Companies Act, he pointed that sacred offerings of Sikh devotees before Guru Granth Sahib “will now become Government's revenue” and handpicked masands of Haryana Government will now become employees of Haryana Government and get their salaries from the State treasury.

Preneet Kaur favoUrs separate committee

Patiala: Advocating the formation of separate Gurdwara Committee for Haryana, former Union Minister Preneet Kaur said that the reason and logic for a separate Haryana SGPC was similar as argued by Badal and his style during Punjabi Suba (State) movement.

“You wanted a separate State where Sikhs could have a majority. That ultimately led to the creation of Haryana and if the Sikhs there now want autonomy for running their own Gurdwaras what is wrong in thatIJ Denying Sikhs in Haryana this right was absolutely unjustified," she said.

Taking a dig at Badal for his “misplaced priorities”, Preneet said that he preferred to go to Delhi to further rake up the Haryana SGPC issue instead of attending the Budget Session of the Punjab Assembly.

Congress questions Badal’s sincerity

Jalandhar: Questioning the sincerity of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in his protest against the formation of Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC), the Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday asked him to prove the same by making his entire family resigning from the posts they hold and participate in the Morcha.

“If Badal is sincere in his protest against the formation of HSGPC by Haryana Government and is not just a ploy to hand over the power to his son Sukhbir Badal, then Badal's entire family should resign from the posts they hold and participate in the Morcha which Badal is intending to launch after July 27,” said Bajwa.

After Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's announcement that he was ready to lead any movement to protest against the formation of HSGMC by Haryana Government, Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa has said that if the CM was sincere and it was not just a ploy to hand over the reins of power to Sukhbir Badal then Badal's entire family should resign from the posts they hold and participate in the Morcha which Badal is intending to launch after July 27.