Row over separate SGPC for Haryana
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal Tuesday widened its political pitch by directly implicating the UPA chief Sonia Gandhi and the Union Government for what it called "direct, dangerous and provocative interference in the internal affairs of the Khalsa Panth and attempts to destroy the Mini Parliament of the Sikhs, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee through the setting up of parallel body in Haryana.'

A resolution passed at an emergency meeting of the Core Committee of the SAD held  Sonia Gandhi directly responsible for using the Haryana government for denigrating the supreme Sikh institution, and  "endangering peace and communal harmony in the region and the country by hatching a conspiracy to undo countless sacrifices made by the Sikhs for the right to manage their own holy shrines." Describing the SGPC as "the ultimate democratic symbol of glory of the Panth and of its right to manage its own religious shrines," the resolution
described the move to set up a separate body, against the wishes of the Sikhs including those of Haryana, as 'fraught with dangers."

The Core Committee declared that the Haryana Sikhs would hold a massive rally at Karnal on August 30 to protest against the acts of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and her party's government in Haryana. Representatives of the Haryana unit of the SAD and religious figures from the state met the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and SAD supremo Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal and asked them to take up their case with the Union Government.

 The Core Committee Resolution regretted the 'utterly insensitive attitude of the Centre towards repeated pleas made through the SGPC, the SAD and the Punjab government' to dissuade the Haryana government from its "obstinate attitude'. "The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh even chose not to acknowledge the two letters written to him by the Punjab CM on the issue. It is hard to see the motives of the Sonia led Congress High Command behind these moves even as peace and communal harmony in Punjab had been restored only after thousands of innocents fell a prey to violence. "That spate of violence itself was the result of the dangerous political conspiracies of the then Congress leaders at the centre and in the state. It seems they are hell bent on
reactivating those conspiracies," said the resolution.

The Core Committee traced the history of "the long and glorious struggle that led to the formation of the SGPC in 1925. "The saga was described by no less a leader than Mahatma Gandhi as the first victory in the movement for independence. Later, the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru reached a pact with the Panth Ratan, Master Tara Singh ji on non-interference in the religious affairs of the Sikhs. The Pact, known as Nehru-Master Tara Singh Pact, specifically and categorically said that no decision affecting the religious affairs of the Sikh Community would be taken except through the prior consent of the overwhelming majority of the members of the SGPC."

"Sonia Gandhi, for some intriguing reason, is bent upon making a mockery even of that sacred pledge made by her grand father in law to the Sikh community, "said the resolution.       

The SAD warned Mrs. Sonia Gandhi against hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. "Or else, she would be directly responsible for any unpleasant consequences that flow from her pursuing this disastrous course," said the Core Committee Resolution.

The meeting was presided over by SAD Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and attended by the Punjab Chief Minister and Patron SAD Parkash Singh Badal, Secretary General Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Senior Vice President & Rural Development & Panchayats Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, General Secretary SAD Balwinder Singh Bhundar, General Secretary & Cooperation Minister Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, General Secretary Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Jathedar Tota Singh, Mr. Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Education Minister Bibi Upinderjit Kaur, former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur, besides Secretary & & Advisor to Chief Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema and Media Advisor Harcharan Bains.