CM should tell people why he is abandoning his responsibilities and usurping duties of SGPC: Harsimrat Badal

Mullanpur Dakha, October 13, 2019: Union Food Processing Industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to tell Punjabis why he was abandoning his responsibility and trying to usurp the duty of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) even as she asked him to concentrate on creating necessary infrastructure for devotees who will come to Sultanpur Lodhi on the 550th Parkash Purb celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. Asking the chief minister not to show so much arrogance and think he was above the highest religio-temporal body of the Sikhs – Sri Akal Takth Sahib, Mrs Badal said Capt Amarinder Singh should let the religious body conduct the Parkash Purb celebrations as per tradition. “The SGPC has always conducted all anniversaries in the past and during the 400th anniversary of installation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj at Amritsar the event was attended by both then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh”. She said even outside Punjab in case of the 350th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji in Patna the Bihar government handed over the stage to the SGPC for three days and it was the SGPC which conducted the event as per Sikh maryada”. Stating that it was the CM and the Congress government which had disregarded the advisory of the Sri Akal Takth Sahib the union minister said the SGPC on its part had tried its best to hold joint celebrations. She said a coordination committee was formed as per the suggestion of Singh Sahib Jathedar Harpreet Singh and numerous appeals were made to the chief minister to celebrate the anniversary on a common platform. “But the Congress government did not pay heed to any of these pleas and is bent on usurping the duties of the SGPC which has been elected to do religious work. I am confident that those who believe in Sri Akal Takth Sahib and want the Sikh Panth to be strengthened will go as per the directive of the supreme body” Meanwhile, Mrs Badal also disclosed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor International Check Post (ICP) on November 8 and also pay his obeisance at Sultanpur Lodhi. She said following this Home Minister Amit Shah would attend the Parkash Purb celebrations being organized by the SGPC at Sultanpur Lodhi on November 11 and President Ram Nath Kovind would preside over the main function on November 12, also from the stage of the SGPC. Answering a query, Mrs Badal said there was a feeling in the Sikh masses that a party which had destroyed Sri Akal Takth Sahib and a chief minister, who had taken a false oath on the holy Gutka Sahab and the ‘charan’ of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, had no right to hold the Parkash Purb celebrations. Terming the Congress government’s insistence to organize the celebrations as another attempt to politicize a solemn and pious event, Mrs Badal said the Congress government had not organized a single religious function or ‘kirtan darbar’ in the last two and a half year. Meanwhile speaking about Dakha assembly byelections, Mrs Badal said people understood that they had been taken for a ride by AAP legislator H S Phoolka who had deserted them. “They also know that the Congress party has not done a single thing for them in the last two and a half years. In direct contrast SAD candidate Manpreet Singh Ayali’s work speaks for itself”. She said the people would also give a befitting answer to the Congress party for the oppression let loose by it including false cases being registered against Akali workers and the common man.