Punjab CM urges Rajnath to restore Sikh relics removed in 1984

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking the immediate restoration of the historic materials removed from the library of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, during Operation Bluestar in 1984. Singh pointed out that most of the relics of Sikhism were taken away by the security forces in June 1984, and no account of that had been given so far.

Amritsar: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking the immediate restoration of the historic materials removed from the library of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, during Operation Bluestar in 1984.

Seeking the minister’s intervention in the matter, the Chief Minister said a delegation of some representatives of the Sikh Organizations Coordinate Committee from United Kingdom met him recently to discuss some issues of concern to Resident Indians and Sikh Community Diaspora of UK. The subject of the material taken from the Golden Temple was among them.

The Punjab Government was already considering these issues raised by the delegation at appropriate levels, but the matter of restoration of the historic material to Sri Darbar Sahib required urgent intervention of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Singh said in his letter.

The Chief Minister pointed out that most of the relics of Sikhism were taken away by the security forces in June 1984, and no account of that had been given so far.

The Sikh community had been raising this matter time and again. Even the Punjab government had been requesting the Government of India to intervene to ensure that these historic materials, wherever available, should be restored to Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, he wrote.

The Chief Minister sought Rajnath’s indulgence in the matter to sort out the issue at the earliest, saying it would go a long way in meeting the long-pending demand of the community. He also extended all assistance and cooperation that may be required by the Government of India to resolve the matter.

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