Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 27: The Maharashtra government has agreed to keep in abeyance a proposed law concerning the administration of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib amid concerns over Sikh religious autonomy and has decided to form a committee for wider consultations.
The decision was conveyed after a meeting in Delhi between BJP leaders and Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who was deputed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address concerns over the proposed legislation.
BJP leader RP Singh said Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon also participated in the meeting and raised concerns regarding the Bill. He said the state government agreed to constitute a committee and hold discussions with stakeholders before introducing the legislation in the Assembly.
“I conveyed my concerns to Chief Minister Fadnavis and he promptly deputed Chandrashekhar Bawankule to meet us. We had a fruitful discussion. We requested wider consultations before the Bill is introduced in the Assembly,” RP Singh said.
Dhillon welcomed the decision, saying consultations with Sikh scholars and the Sikh Panth were necessary before finalising any legal framework related to the management of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib.
“We are thankful to the Maharashtra CM for responding with sensitivity to the concerns of the Sikh community,” he said.
Bawankule said the government would form a committee to consult Sikh stakeholders before replacing the existing Sri Hazur Sahib Act. He described Takht Sri Hazur Sahib as not merely an institution but a symbol of Sikh faith, sovereignty and heritage respected by Sikhs worldwide.
The controversy began after the Maharashtra government proposed repealing the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956 and replacing it with a new law titled Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara Act.
Earlier, the caretakers of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib had asserted their religious autonomy and issued a ‘gurmata’ (collective religious resolution) opposing the government’s repeal proposal.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal urged Chief Minister Fadnavis to retain the autonomous character of the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board and withdraw the draft law, which she claimed proposed increasing government nominees on the Board.