AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has firmly rejected the Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill 2023, which was recently passed by the Punjab assembly and has warned the Punjab government that if the controversial Bill is not reversed, they will initiate a Morcha.
During a special session of the SGPC's General House convened in Amritsar on Monday, the Sikh body reiterated the significance of the Master Tara Singh-Nehru pact signed in 1959.
They emphasized that any amendment to the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 can only be made following the recommendations of two-thirds of the members present in the SGPC's General House.
Notably the Punjab assembly had on June 20 passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to ensure free-of-cost broadcast of Gurbani from Golden Temple across platforms.
The SGPC's General House, in a resolution has sent a powerful message to the Punjab government while citing the significance of the 1959 Pact. The General House sternly demand the immediate withdrawal of the Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill 2023 and warned the government to not interference in Sikh matters . Should their demands go unheeded, the General House of SGPC asserted that they would Morcha, after offering "ardas" at Akal Takht.
The General House of the Shiromani SGPC vehemently opposed the contentious Bill, asserting that it constituted a direct encroachment upon the jurisdiction and independent status of the SGPC. They argued that the Punjab government had overstepped its boundaries by making an unconstitutional decision and interfering in SGPC's affairs beyond its purview. Accusing Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann of succumbing to the alleged anti-Sikh ideology of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, the SGPC contended that the Bill's amendment was a deliberate attempt to seize control of the SGPC.
While denouncing the actions of the Punjab government and labeling them as anti-Sikh, the SGPC’s General House declared their intention to persist with their protests on various platforms.
The SGPC's General House firmly asserted that the SGPC is an constitutionally elected independent representative body of Sikhs, and any interference in its operations would not be tolerated. Citing provisions of Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganization Act 1966, the General House emphasized that any amendments to the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 would require the consent of the SGPC's General House.
In another resolution, the General House of the SGPC demanded a public apology from CM Mann, accusing him of interfering in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 and the operations of the SGPC. They also accused Mann of allegedly insulting to the Sikh kakkar's (articles of faith) and causing harm to the dignity and pride of the Ragi's .
In yet another resolution, the SGPC’s General House demanded an apology from AAP’s Budhlada MLA Budh Ram for his alleged derisive remarks on Bhagat’s derisive remarks disparaged the revered traditions of the Sikh community.
