Other States - Punjab   

DSGMC chief's plea to Takht on `siropa' presentation

Staff Correspondent

Badal politicising sanctity of gurdwaras: Sarna

CHANDIGARH: Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit Singh Sarna has appealed to the Jathedar of the Akal Takht to frame proper guidelines for honouring any individual with a "siropa" (robes of religious honour) at Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) as well as other shrines.

While emphasising the need to ensure that such issues were not exploited for personal political gains, Mr Sarna said: "The Akal Takht should also decide whether honouring personalities like Manmohan Singh, Amarinder Singh and Sheila Dixit, with a `siropa' was against Panthic traditions.''

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the DSGMC chief said that it was imperative for the Jathedar to issue transparent directions on this issue because a controversy was initiated whenever a `siropa' was presented.

Mr. Sarna said that he was pained to note that the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal and his Shiromani Akali Dal were trying to monopolise and politicise the sanctity of gurdwaras by combining their party politics with the religious affairs of the community.

The DSGMC chief said that Akali party led by Mr. Badal should be restrained from misusing the unfortunate incidents like `Operation Bluestar' and 1984 riots for narrow political gains. He said that Mr. Badal during his last tenure as Chief Minister miserably failed to settle even a single long pending issue of Punjab as well as Sikhs.

Mr. Sarna said that Mr. Badal only concentrated on his personal booty instead of getting any Sikh appointed at a prominent position during the six- year- rule of the NDA. On the other hand, Congress president, Sonia Gandhi despite being chosen Prime Minister took a bold initiative to handover the responsibility to a Sikh for the first time in the history of independent India.

He also reminded that it was the present Congress- led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government which appointed a Sikh as Army Chief for the first time.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Punjab set for orange revolution
Punjab not to stop grants to aided private schools
DSGMC chief's plea to Takht on `siropa' presentation

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu