*5-member panel formed in urgent meeting of SGPC executive, decision to take legal opinion about HSGMC ad-hoc

Amritsar, February 20 -The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) taking notice of the use of force and violation of Sikh Maryada (code of conduct) by the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) (ad-hoc) for taking possession of Gurdwara Sahib Patshahi Chhevin in Kurukshetra with the help of the police administration, has rebuked the Haryana government to stop interfering in the Gurdwara management.

On Sunday, office-bearers of HSGMC (ad-hoc) broke the locks of golak (offering box) at Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin in Kurukshetra and the SGPC’s Haryana Sikh mission and locked the same with their locks, after which, the SGPC called a special and urgent meeting of its executive.

In the SGPC executive meeting presided over by SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, the coercive action of HSGMC (ad-hoc) was condemned.

Talking to the press, Dhami said that under a deliberate conspiracy, the Haryana government wants to occupy the Gurdwara Sahibs in Haryana.

“Under this intention of occupying Gurdwaras, the office-bearers of government nominated HSGMC (ad-hoc) entered the historical Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin in Kurukshetra and in an arbitrary action, they broke golak using a cutter. Later, the lock of SGPC’s Haryana Sikh Mission at Kurukshetra under its Dharam Prachar Committee was also broken in the same manner and it was occupied”, said Dhami.

He said when the Sikh Sangat of Haryana reached the Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin on Monday to express their protest, force was allegedly used against them and they were arrested. During this proceeding, the police personnel entered the premises of the Gurdwara Sahib with their shoes and committed a gross violation of Sikh Maryada”, claimed Dhami. He said this action is highly condemnable, for which the Haryana government was directly responsible.

The SGPC President said that the Haryana government wants to take control of the Gurdwaras in violation of the Supreme Court’s decision. He said that the judgment of the Supreme Court has clearly written that the HSGMC can be functional only after the election, but the Haryana government has conspired and made a policy to take over the Gurdwara administration by forming an ad-hoc committee through a notification (dated October 24, 2022). He said that the action being taken by the government has made it clear that it wants to run the Gurdwaras of Haryana as per its own will.

“Because in the notification of HSGMC (ad-hoc) made by the government, it is clearly written that if the election is not held, the panel will be nominated again. This is an illegal process, which cannot be accepted”, said Dhami.

The SGPC President said that it is absolutely illegal to occupy Gurdwara Sahib using the force.

“Haryana Government and HSGMC (ad-hoc) have not made any kind of contact with the SGPC for taking over management of Gurdwaras in Haryana, but have conspired to seize the administration by force. This matter is very critical and is connected with respect and dignity of Gurdwara Sahib. Therefore, a five-member committee has been formed to review the incident that took place at Gurdwara Sahib Patshahi Chhevin in Kurukshetra and to talk to Sikhs in Haryana, after which an appeal would be made to Akal Takht Sahib on this basis of the panel’s report.

He said the 5-member committee includes SGPC senior vice-president Baldev Singh Qaimpuri, junior vice president Avtar Singh Ria, general secretary Bhai Gurcharan Singh Grewal, executive member Jarnail Singh Kartarpur and Bawa Singh Gumanpura. He also said that the opinion of legal experts will be taken about the illegal nomination of HSGMC ad-hoc by Haryana government with just a notification and the intervention of the Home Affairs Department of Government of India will also be sought regarding the direct interference in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act 1925.