Taking strong exception to the move of Haryana Government to allow setting up of a separate Sikh body to take over control of Sikh shrines in the State from Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday said that it would not be tolerated.
“Any such move by the modern-day Mahants at the behest of the Congress will not be tolerated at any cost,” said Badal while interacting with the mediapersons after attending a function to mark death anniversary of late Maan Singh Manhera.
Badal, at the same time, reiterated his firm commitment to thwart the Congress-led Haryana Government’s move to divide Sikh brethren by constituting separate committee for management of Gurdwaras.
“Through this sinister move, the Congress wants to weaken the supreme body of Sikhs, the SGPC, which is not at all acceptable. Congress is dreaming to recapture power in Haryana by pursuing its age old policy of ‘divide and rule’ but the wise Sikh voters of the State would not get swayed away by these tactics and they would definitely teach it a lesson for this heinous crime,” said Badal.
He added, “The Sikh brethren of Haryana had already rejected issue of separate committee by giving humiliating defeat to its protagonists in last SGPC elections and they will definitely repeat their mandate in ensuing assembly elections also.”Badal categorically said that SAD’s sole motive was to upheld SGPC’s sovereignty, which had come into existence after countless sacrifices by the Sikhs, at any cost.Slamming the Congress party, he said: “It is following the footsteps of tyrannical British rulers to wrest control of Gurdwaras through its agents.”