JALANDHAR: Following objections by Sikh quarters to the appointment of a non-Sikh bureaucrat as administrator of Takht Hazur Sahib Management Board, Maharashtra government on Friday appointed retired IAS officer Dr Vijay Satbir Singh to the post.
Former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief and now BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa revealed that Home Minsiter Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda had intervened to get a Sikh administrator for the Board.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ office tweeted that a delegation comprising of former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who is now a BJP leader, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon met him about the issue and accepting their plea orders have ben issused for appointment of Vijay Satbir Singh. His office also shared the notification issued by the government through which the earlier order of July 31 to appoint Nanded Colector to the post was rescinded and new appointment was made.
After Maharashtra government appointed Nanded Collector Abhijit Rajendra Raut as the administrator of the Hazur Sahib Board replacing former Maharashtra DGP Parvinder Singh Pasricha, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee quickly reacted very strongly and even passed a resolution against this appointment.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal had called it "a dangerous ideological assault on the separate Sikh identity. This is a continuation of the persistent attacks and interference in the internal religious affairs of SGPC". Other Sikh religious and political bodies had also taken exception to the appointment even as Pasricha had argued that there was no conspiracy in it and it was a short-term arrangement and had happened in the past also. Sirsa had also demanded that issue should be resolved.
After Fadnavis announced the decision, Sirsa tweeted, "Deeply grateful to national president of BJP @JPNadda Ji and HM @AmitShah Ji for their graceful intervention in this issue of getting a Sikh administrator for Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded. With their due support, the issue has been resolved. The Government of Maharashtra immediately ordered the appointment of Dr Vijay Satbir Singh Ji a retired Sikh IAS officer as administrator of Sri Hazur Sahib. Thanking @Dev_Fadnavis ji for swift action."
Both Sirsa and Kalka tweeted that Fadnavis swiftly acted and issued the order for appointment of retired Sikh IAS officer.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami tweeted saying that it was good that “after opposition of Sikh community, Maharashtra Government changed its decision of appointing a non-Sikh as Administrator of Board of Takht Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, Nanded.” He also demanded that government should also restore Gurdwara Board of Takht Sahib by holding due elections as soon as possible.
