Badals have become Mahants, using SGPC for personal goals: Randhawa

Chandigarh: The Punjab Congress on Sunday questioned the Shiromani Akali Dal Chief Sukhbir Badal for holding the meeting of SGPC members at his residence and asked him to explain under which capacity he is interfering in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President.

He said that the SGPC is in an institution which represents all Sikhs having different political and social alignments, thus Sukhbir Badal has no right to call meeting of SGPC members. SGPC doesn’t represent the Shiromani Akali Dal, but it represents the Sikhs in general, said Congress.

Congress MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, said that by calling a meeting of 110 members of SGPC out of total strength of 190, Sukhbir has crossed the lakshaman Rekha of the state not interfering in religious affairs of Sikhs. He said that SGPC members once elected belongs to entire Sikh Panth, not to a political party.

He questioned that when SGPC and SAD questioned interference of any other Political party in SGPC affairs, why Sukhbir badal himself is interfering in SGPC ? He also questioned Sukhbir that is Akali Dal has no role in pardon of Baba Ram Rahim Singh, then why is he working overtime to justify the action of the Jathedars?

“Neither Sukhbir is Amritdhari Sikh, nor is he a SGPC member. Under which capacity he is calling the meeting of SGPC members. And why he is asking the SGPC members to highlight the aspects, which suits the Akali vote bank. SGPC is not meant for the SAD political purposes but it’s formed to propagate Sikhism”, said Randhawa asking Sukhbir badal to apologies before Sikh Sangat for using SGPC for political purposes.

He said that once elected, all members being part of Mini Parliament of Sikhs (SGPC) belongs to entire Sikh Panth, thus the SAD has no right to call a separate meeting of its SGPC members. Only SGPC president can call such meeting at SGPC Head office at Amritsar, in which members can discuss the panthic issues but cant deliberate how to work for a particular political party.

Randhawa said that the Badals have turned modern era Mahants, Who were controlling Sikh Shrines before formation of SGPC, as Badal are doing in present time. “Badals are electing SGPC president by sending an ‘envelop’, appointing and removing Jathedars of Takhts as per the political suitability, forcing Jathedar to take religious decisions as per political desires of SAD, thus turned the Sikh Body as an offshoot of Akali Dal.

There is need to free the SGPC from interference for Akali Dal for better administration of Gurdwaras and propagation of Sikhism”, said Randhawa, appealing the Sikh Sangat to question Badals that under which authority, they direct the Jathedars, SGPC President and members.