Ferozepur, Feb 9 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal Friday said that the “Delhi-run parties” were not only interfering in the religious affairs of the Sikh community but were also “taking over” Sikh religious shrines which the community would never accept.
Leading the party’s ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ which entered the Malwa region on Friday, Badal said the Sikhs had earlier witnessed how the Shiromani Committee was broken to create a separate gurdwara committee for Haryana.
“The Delhi gurdwara committee, which comprised the majority of members of the SAD, has also been taken over by vested interests to the detriment interest of the community. Now, in another blow to the community, the Maharashtra government has taken over control of the Sri Hazur Sahib Management board by increasing the strength of the nominated members from two to twelve,” Badal said without naming any party.
Asking the people whether the Maharashtra government would tell the Sikh community how to run their gurdwaras, Badal said the decision to reconstitute the Sri Hazur Sahib management board by amending the management board act of 1956 is condemnable and will never be accepted by the Sikh community.
Appealing to the people to strengthen the SAD which had always fought for them, Badal said if the SAD does not return to power, no one will be able to save Punjab.
Badal also urged the people not to be misled by several ‘gaddar’ of the community who were masquerading as Sikh leaders but working to weaken Sikh institutions.
“The community has paid a heavy price at the hands of such leaders. It is high time the Sangat realises their true intent and shuns them”, said Badal.
Urging Punjabis not to waste any more time, the SAD president said “seven years have already been wasted”.
He said former chief minister Amarinder Singh “befooled” Punjabis with false oaths.
“Present chief minister Bhagwant Mann came up with guarantees to secure your votes. Both the Congress and AAP regimes were wasted years for Punjab with development and infrastructure development coming to a complete stop even as social welfare benefits were withdrawn one after the other,” he alleged. PTI COR CHS VSD NB NB
