Badal slams Hooda on separate SGPC issue

Bathinda: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday denounced Haryana government`s move to form a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, saying such move will be fiercely opposed by his party. Accusing Congress party of interfering in the religious affairs of Sikhs, Badal said the formation of separate SGPC in Haryana was a politically motivated move to take mileage out of issue in upcoming Assembly polls.

"Congress has always unnecessarily interfered in the religious affairs of the Sikhs. Haryana Chief Minister`s announcement is politically motivated as he is trying to take mileage out of it in the coming state assembly polls," Badal said here, adding that Congress had always adopted an anti-Sikh stance. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had yesterday said that a decision would soon be taken concerning the formation of separate Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) in the state keeping in view the larger interest of Sikh Community. Badal said SGPC had came into existence after enormous sacrifices made by the Sikhs during the British rule. The CM said, "by constituting separate SGPC in Haryana, Congress party is playing with fire as the Sikhs would not at all tolerate its interference in their religious matters." He said that this action of dividing the Sikhs was totally unwarranted and his party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, would vigorously oppose it. "We will never allow the Congress party to meddle in our religious affairs and stiff opposition will be given to any such proposal," said Badal. Sikhs in Haryana have been demanding to set up a separate SGPC since long for managing the affairs of Sikh shrines in the state. At present, SGPC is managing affairs of all Sikh shrines in Punjab and Haryana. Criticising former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for holding SAD responsible for the violence in Golden Temple yesterday, the Chief Minister alleged that the Amritsar Lok Sabha MP has always misled the people. "Speaking a lie is the biggest craftsmanship of Captain," he said. He said that nobody would be allowed to disturb the hard earned peace of the state and strict action would be taken against those responsible for yesterday`s clash. "The state government is firmly committed to uphold the ethos of communal harmony, peace and amity at every cost," he said.