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Chandigarh, October 25 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today urged Punjabis to unite against extremist forces who were attacking Sikh religious institutions as well as the SAD- BJP government to destabilise the hard won peace of Punjab.
In a statement here, senior SAD leaders and mps including Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhundur and Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said extremist forces were working to dilute the authority of both Sri Akal Takth Sahib as well as the SGPC. “They are simultaneously targeting the SAD so that all panthic institutions are destroyed in Punjab ensuring the earlier turbulent times return to the State”.
The leaders asserted the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib was planned to fan religious passions which were now being directed against the very religious institutions as well as the party which had always stood steadfast to protect the interests of Sikhs and Sikhism.
Reminding Punjabis that the earlier more than decade long spell of terrorism had also started with provocative actions like the recent desecrations of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the leaders said even then the first institution to be attacked was the SGPC with many SGPC members being killed by extremist elements. They said presently also extremist forces were spreading hatred against SGPC members and the five Sikh head priests and inciting people against them. The leaders said in the current scenario it was the need of the hour to unite as one to reject all extremist elements who wanted to disturb the peace of the State.
The leaders also urged Sikhs to have faith in both the SGPC and the Akal Takth and work with the Sikh institutions to tackle and resolve the issue of desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. They also asked the community to understand why these desecrations had taken place and who was behind them.
Coming down heavily on the people trying to get political mileage out of the dastardly act, the leaders said while on one hand the psyche of every Sikh was tormented due to this inhuman crime but on the other the opposition and some extremist groups were trying to score brownie points by unleashing a malicious propaganda against the state government.
The leaders said that such elements and agencies had divided the people on sectarian lines in the past also and now again they were trying to create a wedge between peace loving people by fanning such incidents. “But it is the moral duty of every Punjabi to crush their nefarious designs by keeping a strict vigil at every religious place across the state’ they added.
Urging the people to uphold the sanctity and supremacy of Sikh institutions – Sri Akal Takhat Sahib and SGPC, the leaders said that these foundations had remained steadfast even after the planned attacks of wicked forces inimical to the Sikh Panth.
They said that the hardworking and resilient workers of SAD had always been custodians of peace, amity and communal harmony and hoped that this tradition would be upheld by them in this current scenario also
Urging the people to support the SAD- BJP alliance government to crush the ugly head of anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh forces who were trying to repeat the black days in the state, they said the alliance would always work for peace and ensure communal harmony in the State.
