CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, Aug 7 (PTI): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal Monday
objected to the appointment of a non-Sikh person as an administrator of the gurdwara board of Takht
Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, Nanded in Maharashtra.
Badal called it a part of a “dangerous ideological assault on separate Sikh identity”.
“This is a continuation of the persistent attacks on and interference in the internal religious affairs of the
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC),” he said.
In separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Badal called
for immediate reversal of the decision and sought appointment of a fully practising Sikh from among the
bureaucrats as the administrator.
In a statement, Badal also urged the central government and the Maharashtra government to show
greater sensitivity to Sikh sentiments.
On Sunday, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami too had raised his objection to the appointment in a
letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and had demanded its rollback.
Meanwhile, the SGPC in Amritsar on Monday passed a resolution against the appointment.
The resolution was passed in an executive committee (EC) meeting of the SGPC which took notice of the
“governments’ interference in Sikh religious affairs and their organisations.”
The meeting presided over by SGPC president Dhami passed the resolution against the appointment of a
non-Sikh as administrator of the gurdwara board.
In a statement issued here, SGPC chief Dhami said the “governments’ unnecessary interference in Sikh
affairs is a serious conspiracy, which the Sikh organisation SGPC will not tolerate at any cost”.
He said the Sikh shrines have their own ‘maryada’ (code of conduct) and tradition, according to which,
the Sikh organisations conduct the ‘sewa’ (service).
He alleged that the governments are making arbitrary decisions by interfering with the rights of Sikhs.
He said recently the sentiments of Sikhs have been hurt by appointing a non-Sikh as the administrator of
the gurdwara board of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded.
He said it can never be accepted that the administrator of the board of holy Takht Sahib is a non-Sikh.
Abhijit Rajendra Raut, Nanded District Collector, a non-Sikh officer, was appointed the administrator of
Gurdwara Board of Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, from August 1, the SGPC said.
This appointment is made by the government of Maharashtra. He was appointed in accordance with the
Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956.
Moreover, it has been decided to provide legal aid to victim families for pursuing cases in the higher
court in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the SGPC statement added.
