35 Sikh organisations condemn SGPC chief’s U-turn

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 6

Condemning the backtracking by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal on the issue of 328 missing Sikh ‘saroops’, 35 Sikh organisations under the Alliance of Sikh Organisations on Sunday issued a condemnation of Gobind Singh Longowal’s statement. They said his U-turn makes it clear that he wants to save the culprits.

The statement comes after the SGPC chief retracted the executive committee’s earlier decision to file criminal cases against six of its employees indicted for their role in misappropriation of records of 328 ‘saroops’.

The 35 Sikh organisations’ spokespersons Sukhdev Singh Phagwara and Parampal Singh, in their statement, sought from the SGPC chief the details of where the ‘saroops’ went. They also appealed to Akal Takht to seek resignation of the SGPC chief as well as SGPC spokesperson Rajinder Mehta on the issue.

They said: “According to the SGPC chief’s new statement — as per recommendations by the investigating committee, no case shall be filed against those responsible for the missing ‘saroops’ of the Guru Granth Sahib. It is evident that Longowal wants to hide the real culprits responsible for the issue due to fears that the subsequent action shall expose the embezzlement committed in the committee under him. Gobind Singh Longowal wants to save himself and the interim committee. Isn’t his backtracking from his own declarations made some days ago, a violation of the rules of the Akal Takht Sahib?”

They said: “The SGPC shall be met with fierce opposition if it backtracks from its previous declarations on the 328 missing ‘saroops’. The entire list of details should be made public.” They said if the SGPC chief fails to share these details, then it’s clear that the ‘saroops’ have gone missing somewhere, where they shall not be preserved as per maryada (respect accorded to sacred scriptures).”

They appealed to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh that Longowal and Rajinder Mehta and all culprits in the case be summoned at the Akal Takht and their resignations be demanded, following which restrictions be placed on them, so that they do not hold a major office or contest elections in any Sikh organisation for the rest of their life.

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