Religious leaders support Akali demand for Dera's apology

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, May 21 (UNI) The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbadhak Committee (SGPC) today got a shot in arm as leaders of various religions extended their full support to the SGPC's demand that the Dera Sacha Sauda Chief should tender an apology for ''mimicking and ridiculing'' Sikh practice of baptising.

A meeting of religious heads including Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Ashok Singhal, held under the chairmanship of SGPC Chief Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar, also resolved to send a eight-member ''Sant Mandal'' to the Dera's headquarters at Sirsa tomorrow to hold talks with its chief for resolving the conflict between the Sikh community and the sect.

Releasing the resolution of the all-religion meeting, Akali Dal (Badal) leader Dr Jaspal Singh said the religious leaders had agreed with the SGPC's stand that the 'regret' expressed by the Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh over the May 13 developments in Bathinda district would not suffice as the Dera chief's act of ''sacrilege of Sikh practices was well calculated and deliberate and done with some ulterior motives''.

Jathedar Makkar said no Sikh leader would be part of the Sant Mandal as the community was bound by the Akal Takht's edict which mandated that Sikhs should have no truck with the Dera Chief and his followers. However, the Sant Mandal would convey its deliberation with the Sirsa Dera Chief directly to the Akal Takht.

VHP leader Ashok Singhal was severely critical of the Dera Chief and said the latter had humilated all the religions as he had been openly denouncing gods and godesses and other Hindu traditions including both 'Sanatani' and 'non-Sanatani' versions.

''Besides, there were suspicious characters moving around and hiding in the Sirsa Dera who could be anti-Indian agents of Pakistan government out to damage the country from within'', Mr Singhal alleged and added that the Union and Punjab government should intitute a high-level inquiry into such activities of the Dera.

The meeting also extended support to tomorrow's Punjab bandh called by the Akal Takht. But at the same time, it appealed to the Punjabis, particulaly the Sikhs, to ''exercise restraint and refrain from indulging in any violent activity, only holding a peaceful protest to express their agony over the anti-religious activities of the Dera.'' The religious leaders, who were also joined by former National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Chairman Tarlochan Singh, said the Guru Gobind Singh was a ''national hero whose creation of Khalsa Panth put a permanent end to hundreds of years of aggression on Indian soil from the North-West.'' Those who participated in the all religion meeting included All India Mosque Imams' Organisation president Maulana Jameel Ahmed Ilyasi, Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh, Delhi's Catholic Church's Fathers Philip Parmar and Alexender Fleming, Jain Acharya Dr Sadhna, Jain Muni Lok Prakash Lokesh and Maulana Khan Mohammad Hafiq from Haryana.

At this juncture, the Delhi unit of ruling Akali Dal (Badal] also gave a call to the Sikhs in Delhi to obeserve bandh tomorrow, to express their solidarity with the bandh call in Punjab. Akali leader Dr Jaspal Singh said the party workers would bear black turbans and black badges tomorrow.

UNI

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