Amritsar, Jun 26 (IANS): Accusing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal of trying to implement the “anti-Sikh agenda”, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Monday warned of an agitation if the Punjab government fails to withdraw the Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Addressing the special general house called just days after the state Assembly passed the amendment Bill, paving the way for eliminating the undue control over "the free-to-air" telecast of the sacred Gurbani from the Golden Temple, Dhami said, “If the state government does not stop interference in Sikh matters, then a morcha (agitation) will be started against it after performing 'ardas' (prayer) at the Akal Takht.”
“Then it will be the responsibility of the government,” he said, clarifying that any amendment in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925 can be made only with the approval of a two-third majority of SGPC members.
The SGPC chief said neither the Centre nor the Punjab government has any right to amend the law.
Saying the amendment was carried out at the directive of Kejriwal, Dhami said the Chief Minister “acts what he is asked to do by Kejriwal”.
“It is the conspiracy of ‘Babu’ Kejriwal,” Dhami was categorically clear while referring to the Bill.
Wrapping up discussion on the Bill on June 20, the Chief Minister informed the Assembly that the Bill “aims at freeing the undue control of a particular family over the rights to telecast sacred Gurbani”.
He has said it was a paradoxical situation that the SGPC under the influence of a family that controls its affairs, had given intellectual property rights of telecasting the sacred Gurbani to a channel owned by them.
Mann has questioned how these rights of Gurbani, which is a repository of knowledge and faith, can be given to any channel.
The Chief Minister has said the Bill is in no way interference in religious affairs, rather it is a simple step to ensure that Gurbani reaches every household.
He said in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, after section 125, section 125-A will be inserted for live telecast of Gurbani free of cost.
The SGPC is the mini parliament of the Sikh religion.