Akal Takht yet to take call on RSS affiliate’s event

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 22

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh will soon take a call on participating in the celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th birth anniversary to be organised by the RSS-affiliate Rashtriya Sikh Sangat in New Delhi on October 25.

“I will re-read the Akal Takht’s July 23, 2004, edict before making any statement,” he said. The 2004 edict was released to direct the community not to support the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat-organised Sarb Sanjhi Gurbani Yatra.

SAD (Delhi) Secretary and Takht Patna Sahib Committee chief Harvinder Singh Sarna said the community was confused whether to participate in the RSS-sponsored programme. The Jathedar must clear its stand on it.

Meanwhile, the US-based Sikh co-ordination committee today issued a statement asking the community to boycott the Gurpurab programme at New Delhi. Committee members Himmat Singh, Kewal Singh, Harjinder Singh and Veer Singh Mangat said the participation of the Sikhs in the October 25 programme was a danger to independent existence of the community.

They said the objective of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat was dubious at its inception as its founders did not consider Sikhism as a separate religion.