Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
DARES THEM TO CONTEST SGPC POLL TO SEE WHAT SIKHS THINK OF THEM
“STOP TRYING TO DIVIDE SOCIETY THROUGH FALSE AND MISLEADING SLOGANS ”
Chandigarh April 26 – The Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Parkash SIngh
Badal said here today that the Congress and the party of Arvind
Kejriwal ganged up to fulfill the age-old dream of the anti-Sikh
forces to gain control over the religious affairs of the Sikh
community against mandate of the Sikh masses.”
“Everyone can now see the desperate scale of interest which these
parties have betrayed in grabbing control over the most sacred Sikh
shrines and to convert the highest seats of authority in Sikh
religion into the mouth-pieces of the anti-Sikh forces, exactly as
the British had done before the Gurdwara Sudhar Lehar. The
Congress-AAP bluff has been called and now they can no longer hide
their secret agenda and befool the masses, ” said Mr Badal in a
statement here this afternoon.
The Chief Minister challenged both the Congress and its camp-follower,
the Aam Admi Party to display courage to openly seek a mandate from
the Sikh masses by contesting the forthcoming SGPC general elections”.
The Chief Minister also said it could not have been a mere coincidence
that the Congress and AAP had identical stands on all other issues
too like the SYL, Punjabi speaking areas left out of the state,
release of Sikh prisoners, drugs, and non-interference in the
religious affairs of all communities, especially the minorities.
Reacting to the passage of the Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill in the
Lok Sabha today, Mr Badal welcomed the development as ‘historic’ and
thanked all those who supported the Sikh cause. “This has undone a
historic distortion in the Sikh religious affairs and in the
management of the Sikh shrines. This will remove all unnecessary
confusion on the issue.”
“The Congress had always hatched conspiracies to dilute or destroy
established Sikh institutions gained through countless sacrifices by
Sikh masses and by leadersof the stature of Baba Kharak SIngh and
Master Singh.Now, the AAP has joined it to strengthen anti-Sikh
elements,” said the Chief Minister.
Mr Badal said that the SAD’s insistence on the management of Sikh
shrines only by the ideologically pure and those perfect in
understanding and implementing this purity of religious practices is
purely for the purpose of management of Sikh religious affairs as per
Sikh norms. “Other than this, the Sikh Gurus, the Gurbani and Sikh
religious beliefs preach no distinction between people professing
different faiths. Everyone, regardless of his religious beliefs, is
welcome in any Sikh Gurdwara which traditionally has four doors. Guru
Granth Sahib contains verses from saints, seers and other enlightened
souls from different sects and communities, and different walks of
life., and their bani has been accorded the status of the Guru. That
is why when we bow our heads before Guru Granth Sahib, we bow before
all the saints and seers and prophets from different communities. The
Foundation Stone of Sri Harmandar Sahib was laid by Sain Mian Meer, a
Muslim. The issue of purity in thought and practice is a matter that
pertains to the maintenance of purity in our religious places. For all
other purposes, the Gurus taught us to love and respect every human
being, regardless of his religion or beliefs as equal.”
The Chief Minister asked the Cong-Aam Admi Party gang-up to stop
trying to create fissures in society in general and in the Sikh masses
in particular, or they would have to face the wrath of the Sikh
masses, already simmering since the army assault on the holiest of the
holy shrines, Sri Harmandar Sahib in June 1984. “The Congress and the
AAP may pretend to speak against each other in a prep-planned
strategy, but secretly they are working on a common unholy agenda to
gain power and misuse it to dilute and destroy the purity of Sikh
religious thought and practices. The Sikh masses will never allow
this.”
