Dhami remarked that following the Akal Takht’s orders, the government will not be permitted to interfere in the matters of Sikh institutions.
One day after Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann urged SGPC to stop using the ‘Panth’ shield to avoid accountability for the missing ‘saroops’, Sikh body president Harjinder Singh Dhami, on Tuesday, initiated a rebuttal against the government.
He alleged that the state government filed an FIR without investigating and is aiming at SGPC to divert the public’s focus from its performance in the upcoming election year.
Dhami remarked that following the Akal Takht’s orders, the government will not be permitted to meddle in the matters of Sikh institutions. He, nonetheless, declined to reveal the forthcoming course of action.
Regarding the matter of 328 ‘saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib, he mentioned that recovering them was out of the question since they were never lost; rather, a few dishonest individuals manipulated the numbers to gain additional money.
Dhami criticized the AAP government for filing an FIR and establishing a SIT on the issue, even though the government had earlier admitted to the high court that SGPC is a capable institution allowed to act in its administrative affairs. He claimed that the abrupt filing of the FIR exposes the government’s political motives.
He remarked that the government’s actions undermine the authority of the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs. The Akal Takht instructed Dr. Ishar Singh to carry out an investigation, and following his findings, SGPC acted against employees at all levels.
Dhami challenged the rationale behind the government’s involvement.
Dhami noted that the high court ruling referenced by the Punjab Government indeed contains an affidavit recognizing SGPC’s authority, and it did not mandate the filing of an FIR.
He alleged that the government showed double standards by acknowledging SGPC as a competent entity while filing an FIR based on false claims.
