Baba Budha Dal takes possession of gurdwara after 2-year dispute

Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, October 15

The two-year-old dispute regarding the possession of Gurdwara Akal Bunga at Sultanpur Lodhi ended on Wednesday with the local administration handing over its charge to the nihang jatha of Baba Budha Dal led by Baba Balbir Singh, following the conclusion of a trial in its favour.

Tehsildar, Sultanpur Lodhi, Parminder Singh officially handed over the charge to Sukhdev Singh, member of the Baba Budha Dal, while declaring that Section 145 of the CrPC would now cease to exist as the trial was now over. After a dispute had broken out between the two nihang groups in November 2023, the tehsildar had been appointed as receiver in the gurdwara, which falls right in front of the historically most significant Gurdwara Ber Sahib in the holy town.

As the possession was handed over, the entire area had been cordoned off and a heavy deployment of force had been done. The administration was wary that the followers of Nihang Maan Singh, who heads Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal, could retaliate but nothing of the sort happened.

The police and the local administration seemed to be overcautious as the last time when they had tried to hand over possession to the same nihang group two years back, there had been a strong reaction from the other side and Punjab Home Guards Constable Jaspal Singh was gunned down. Six cops were injured, of whom two with bullet shot injuries in hand and thigh. Police teams used teargas shells to take the cover and started retaliatory fire from the rooftops of surrounding buildings.

Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla too had reached the site. Post the incident, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia had levelled allegations against the state government for doing favouritism for the jatha of Baba Balbir Singh as his sister Manpreet Kaur was serving in a school run by it. Baba Balbir Singh is also on the panel of a committee formed by the state government for supervising the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur.