Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann accuses Governor of obstructing Sikh Gurdwara Bill, defying will of people

PTI

Chandigarh, July 15

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday slammed Governor Banwarilal Purohit for not signing the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and accused him of stifling the democratic will of the people of the state.

The Punjab Assembly had on June 20 passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to ensure free telecast of ‘Gurbani’ from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The development comes a day after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said it will launch a satellite channel and its own YouTube channel for the broadcast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple.

Mann on Saturday on Twitter and said the telecast of Gurbani will not be allowed to go into the hands of “special people” of the Badal family’s company again.

He also wrote a letter to Purohit on Saturday which read, “... it is regretted that the Bill has not been signed till date. This amounts to stifling the democratic will of the people of Punjab.” Mann also referred to PTC Channel which was often linked to the Badal family, and made the allegation that “one particular Channel owned by a political family has monopolised the telecast of ‘Sarab Sanjhi Gurbani’ from Sri Harmandir Sahib and has been making profits from it”.

Mann urged Purohit to sign the bill before the agreement between the SGPC and the private channel expires on July 23.

“In case you do not sign the Bill immediately, it may lead to a situation where millions of devotees across the world will be deprived of watching the live telecast of Holy Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib. This will seriously hurt their religious sentiments,” he said.

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