PATIALA: Sikhs have lodge protest with SGPC against an Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) member for entering Gurdwara Dera Sahibwhile wearing shoes, Sikh devotees who returned from Pakistan, said on Wednesday.

Due to expiry of term of office bearers of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) on March 31, all the boarding and lodging arrangements were made by Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB).

A Sikh devotee said that ETPB member Ashraf Ali Khawaja disturbed the ceremony when he entered the 'sacred place wearing shoes'. This was where the Sikhs recited their sacred book Guru Granth, He said that Khawaja also forced many Sikhs to leave their places for him. They had protested and demanded that Khawaja be thrown out of the gurdwara.  He said that Sikhs were only got satisfied when ETPB Chairman Lt Gen (r) Muhammad Javed was the chief guest of the ceremony told Khawaja to leave the place.

Sikhs said that the Indian government should interfere in this matter and the arrangement of Pakistan Gurdwaras should be handed over to Sikhs only.

About 2,000 Sikh pilgrims from across the world including Pakistan participated in the 402nd death anniversary of their fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev, at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore on Monday. Sikhs rued that they had never entered any mosque and behaved in the way as displayed by Khawaja. They said that Guru Granth was as sacred for them as the Quran was for Muslims. They said that everyone should respect and obey each other's religion and keep the decorum.