To resolve the dispute on Gyan Godri Gurudwara issue at Har-ki-Pauri, five-member delegation of All India Sikh Conference led by its president Gurucharan Singh Babbar met the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in the Secretariat on Tuesday.
The CM gave them time to meet him over this issue on January 28. Earlier, on the occasion of Guru Govind Singh’s birth anniversary, Babbar had urged the Sikh organisations and devotees to gather at the disputed site of Gyan Godri, where presently the camp office of Bharat Scouts and Guides is situated.
More than 200 association members and devotees reached Paonta Sahib and had expressed their wish to visit Gyan Godri but due to police deployment their movements were restricted. later Dehradun district administration facilitated their meeting with the CM.
It may be mentioned here that the site of the Bharat Scouts and Guides Camp office is claimed by Sikh organisations to have housed a gurudwara till 1970s. Guru Nanak is said to have meditated at this spot in 1504-05.
Meanwhile, this issue had put police and administration on the alert as Sikh organisations had exhorted Sikhs to reach Har-ki-Pauri on Tuesday.
Expecting large number of Sikhs from Punjab and other States at Har-ki-Pauri on Tuesday and Guru Govind Singh’s birth anniversary, the police had made elaborate security arrangements in Haridwar.
State Additional Director General of Police Ram Singh Meena said that as precautionary measure, security in Haridwar and neighbouring districts had been beefed up and adequate police force was deployed in and around the Hari-Ki-Pauri area to ensure peaceful environment there.
Haridwar police said that Sikh devotees were allowed to complete their rituals on the occasion of Guru Govind Singh’s birth anniversary but none were allowed to go beyond the barriers put around Bharat Scouts and Guides Camp office.
Vikasnagar CO Swapan Kumar said that to avoid untoward incidents, adequate force was deployed at the State border with Himachal Pradesh near Paonta Sahib.
With the arrival of more than 200 association members at Paonta Sahib, police restricted them there. They were asked to return back or talk to the Government over this issue. later they agreed to talk to the CM and with the help of district officers, five member delegation of the organisation including Gurucharan Singh Babbar, BS Singh, S Singh, SS Dhillon and Satwinder Singh met the Chief Minister at noon and CM gave them time to meet on January 28 to resolve this issue, he added.
Talking to The Pioneer Babbar said that the Chief Minsiter has called us on January 28 and also called RSS and Ganga Sabha. By calling them Government has tried to communalise the issue. It is just like that we would call Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) in a meeting to decide building of a temple in Punjab.