The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to stay the construction of a memorial for 1984-anti Sikh riot victims on the premises of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj after the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) told the court that it will take stringent action if any illegal construction took place.
On a petition filed by Paramjit Singh Sarna, ex-president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), against the construction of a memorial inside the Gurdwara premises, the court issued notice to the Committee and its current president Sardar Manjit Singh GK along with the Delhi Government, the NDMC and Delhi Development Authority.
"On June 6, a show-cause notice was issued to the DSGMC and its president Manjit Singh in which the legal consequences were also mentioned. It will take action as per law in two to three days," said Vivek Sood, Counsel for the NDMC. Justice Jayant Nath recorded the submissions of Sood and sought reply from the respondents by July 17.
Earlier, in the morning, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and national president of Shiromani Akali Dal on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the memorial in the presence of several priests. Present on the occasions were leader of Opposition in the lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, BJP president Rajnath Singh, Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel with SAD lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and DSGMC office bearers.
"We have fulfilled our promise. We are happy to lay the foundation successfully and expect that memorial would be completed by next year," Badal said on the occasion.
Talking about controversy over constructing the memorial, Badal said, "What is wrong if memorial is constructed within the premises of Guudwara. I do not know why few selfish people of Sikh community are opposing it. Constructing memorial in the memory of innocent people, who were killed in 1984 riots, is not violation of rules and regulations of NDMC. We are ready to answer NDMC."
Kaur said that this (foundation laying ceremony) is a historic moment not only for SAD but for all Sikh people living across the world. While talking to mediapersons, Delhi BJP chief Goel said, "I personally appreciate the decision of the Siromani Akali Dal and DSGMC to construct memorial of innocent victims, who were mercilessly killed in the riots."