PATIALA: Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and the SGPC has crossed swords over the publication of an advertisement in leading newspapers on behalf of the latter regarding shortening of the protest-march route against the blasphemous acts of the dera chief.

SGPC officials did not bother to seek permission from the Akal Takht secretariat or the Sikh clergy before publishing such advertisement on behalf of the Jathedar. This is for the first time that such an advertisement was published on behalf of the Jathedar, which has initiated fresh debate in the Panthic circles.

The advertisement caused immense embarrassment to the Sikh high priests since they themselves had pronounced that the protest march would be taken out from Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh. Jathedar Vedanti described advertisement "unprecedented". The Jathedar said he would take up the matter with SGPC Chief Avtar Singh Makkar. He said the advertisement should have been published on behalf of SGPC's Dharm Parchar Committee.

Earlier advertisement, published in various newspapers regarding Punjab bandh on May 20 was also published on behalf of the Dharm Parchar Committee and not on behalf the Akal Takht Jathedar. Akal Takht has been receiving a number of complaints following publication of "sandesh" (message) in the name of Sikh masses on behalf of the Akal Takht Jathedar.

SAD (Amritsar) general secretary Bhai Ram Singh said the working committee meeting of his party would be convened within a week to discuss the shortening of the route of the protest march. He said it was unfortunate that the Jathedar Vedanti had amended the "Gurmatta", pronounced from Akal Takht regarding the route of the protest march. He said as per the original announcement, its route was from Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh which was later changed under political pressure.