Amritsar: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Tuesday took out a protest march from Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) to the office of deputy commissioner here against the validation of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Act, 2014.
The SGPC, which is the apex religious body of the Sikhs, had recently said it would file a review petition against the Supreme Court order last month upholding validity of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management (HSGM) Act, 2014. The SGPC submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan. The memorandum was addressed to the prime minister.
The SGPC memorandum demanded cancellation of separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Act. The protest march was led by SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, while a large number of office-bearers, members and employees of SGPC participated and expressed their 'Panthic' (community's) resentment.
During the protest, protesters wore black turbans and also held black flags and placards carrying slogans expressing resentment. The protest continued for about two hours, after which Amritsar deputy commissioner visited the spot and accepted the memorandum from the SGPC president.
During the protest, the SGPC president said in his address that there is huge resentment in the Sikhs all over the world due to recognition of separate Gurdwara Act for Haryana state by the Supreme Court. This would break the SGPC, the representative body of Sikhs, he claimed. He said that the Sikh Panth has sounded the bugle of struggle and added protest marches will be carried out from three places on October 7.
They will start from Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Sri Anandpur Sahib, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sabo and Gurdwara Sri Manji Sahib Ambala, and will reach Akal Takht Sahib. Earlier, the Shiromani Akali Dal had termed the HSGM Act, which was passed by the erstwhile Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana, as illegal and unconstitutional. (PTI)
