Stop ‘harassment’ of Uttarakhand gurdwara panel members: Akal Takht, SGPC

Amritsar, April 25

Akal Takht and the SGPC while taking notice of the ‘harassment’ of the local gurdwara management committee members in the murder case of Baba Tarsem Singh at Gurdwara Sri Nanakmatta Sahib in Uttarakhand on March 28, has appealed to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to stop the alleged harassment of the gurdwara committee by the police.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said the murder of Baba Tarsem Singh was an unfortunate incident, yet the Uttarakhand police has been harassing innocent Sikh youth by booking them in the murder case.

“Constitutionally, being the CM of Uttarakhand, it is his responsibility to understand the seriousness of the situation and immediately order that no member of the gurdwara management committee be harassed unnecessarily,” he said.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the majority of the members of the management committee of Gurdwara Sri Nanakmatta Sahib had jointly written a letter to the SGPC and expressed their apprehension that the government was trying to take control of the management of the gurdwara under the garb of the baba’s murder.

“If it is so, the Sikh community will not tolerate such tactics. The elected management committee of Gurdwara Sri Nanakmatta Sahib is the expression of the sentiments of the ‘sangat’, in which government intervention should be stopped immediately. No innocent person should be harassed. I also ask for CM’s intervention,” he said.

The SIT had announced the arrest of four suspects, identified as Dilbagh Singh, Amandeep Singh, Harminder and Balkar Singh. But the two prime suspects Sarabjit Singh Mianwind and Amarjit Singh belong to Tarn Taran and Amritsar, respectively, are still on the run. Mianwind was driving the bike while Amarjit was reportedly riding pillion.