Gurdwara Entry row: Sampla asks SGPC to intervene

Chandigarh: In a case of alleged denial of entry to a Dalit family to hold “bhog” of their member in a village gurdwara, state BJP chief Vijay Sampla on Saturday asked SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal to intervene in the matter. Kaka Singh, a Dalit of Maanwala village in Sangrur district, was stopped from performing the “bhog” of their mother in the village gurdwara. Sampla said when the Dalit family started stocking provisions for the “bhog” inside the gurdwara a day before the ceremony, the husband-wife duo was asked by Ishar Singh and panchayat member Saibi Singh to perform the ceremony in their own gurdwara. Not only was the Dalit couple denied permission to hold the “antim ardaas”, they were also refused the utensils. The Dalit family had to perform the “bhog” at their home the next day. Sampla said he was pained to hear about such an incident from the land of Gurus, who always upheld the right to equality. Sampla expressed hope that the SGPC chief would not only amicably solve the matter, but also ensure that such incidents did not take place in future. tns