DON’T PUNISH AKALI DAL, SGPC FOR MY FLAWS, SAYS SUKHBIR

IN A SPEECH DELIVERED TO MARK 101ST FOUNDATION DAY OF SGPC SAID SIKH INSTITUTIONS NEEDS TO BE DEFENDED AND NOT RELEGATED

Having faced the flak over the issue of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday exhorted the Sikh community not to punish the party and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for his “faults or flaws”.  

www.hindustantimes.com reported this.

Addressing the devotees at Manji Sahib Diwan Hall in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar to mark the SGPC’s 101st foundation day, Sukhbir said, “We must identify who is our own and who is not. I may have flaws. I may commit a fault or a sin, but the Akali Dal or SGPC must not be punished for that. I may be replaced as party chief tomorrow. But the institutions will be there and they are real strength of the Sikhs. They need to be defended by defeating the propaganda of the Congress”, he added, as per the report in Hindustan Times.

The Akali Dal and the apex gurdwara body, he said, are repositories of Sikhs’ faith and of the Punjabis’ trust in the Guru’s philosophy. 

The party is also running a media campaign extolling the glorious 100 years history of Akali Dal, the second oldest political party in the country after congress. In the campaign it is featuring leaders of the past who struggled to free Gurdwaras from Mahants and Independence of India.

“Both belong to all those who subscribe to the Panthic philosophy and Punjabi identity,” he said. Differences among Sikhs can and must be resolved within the family. Criticise me, correct me whenever you think I am wrong. But do not join the Panth’s enemies to weaken our treasured institutions,” the SAD chief said.  

Unfortunately, the Congress is spreading false propaganda despite their entire cabinet led by Parkash Singh Badal tendering an apology for the sacrilege incidents taking place during the SAD’s tenure in government, he said. 

“We tried to solve these cases, but we had to hand over the inquiry to the CBI under the circumstances. Ironically, the issue is being raised by the party that attacked the Sri Darbar Sahib with tanks and massacred thousands of our brothers and sisters,” Sukhbir said.  

Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh appealed to the Sikhs to unite to further strengthen the SGPC. 

SGPC president Jagir Kaur said preachers of different languages would be recruited and sent on tours to different states and countries for spread of Sikhism. “The Central Sikh Museum would be further expanded and the Sikh history would be portrayed in a modern way,” she added.