Sukhbir exhorts SGPC members to promote baptism

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 27

In an effort to consolidate the Panthic vote bank, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked the SGPC members to motivate Sikhs to get baptised. Each member of the SGPC should spread the teachings of the Sikh Gurus among people in their areas, he said.

Sukhbir chaired a meeting of 115 members of the SGPC at the SAD office here this afternoon. Though speculations was rife that the issue of electing the president and other office-bearers of the SGPC would be discussed in the meeting, no deliberation on the issue took place.

The incumbent president of SGPC, Avtar Singh Makkar, was also present in the meeting which lasted for less than 30 minutes. Sources in the SGPC and the SAD said the issue of elections was likely to be discussed in the SAD core committee meeting scheduled for Thursday. The government was waiting for the Union Home Ministry to fix a schedule for holding the elections.

The Deputy Chief Minister, during the meeting, asked SGPC members to spread religious teachings among all sections of the society, especially the youth. It is learnt that some SGPC members suggested that all members of the SAD too should be exhorted to get baptised.

Sukhbir also asked the members to organise programmes to celebrate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in their areas.