SGPC sees Congress, Sonia hand in Sacha Sauda issue

Amritsar, May 23 (UNI) The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today directly accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi of interfering in Sikh religious affairs and trying to disturb the peace and communal harmony of Punjab.

''Ms Gandhi, through the Congress government of Haryana, was trying to disturb the peace of Punjab and bring back the 'dark days' (terrorism) in the border state'', said a resolution, passed by the SGPC executive meeting here.

The meeting which was chaired by SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar was called to discuss the Sacha Sauda controversy.

The resolution squarely put the blame on the Congress for sectarian violence that broke out at Bathinda on May 14 between Dera Sacha Sauda supporters and members of various Sikh religious organisations after an advertisment appeared in a section of the media showing Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh attired like Guru Gobind Singh.

The resolution noted that the Bathinda violence was a ''well planned conspiracy engineered at the behest of the Congress''.

The resolution warned all political parties not to politicise the issue as it was a purely religious affair concerning the Sikhs.

The Akal Takht has already made its intention clear of summoning Punjab Congress leaders who had a hand in the Bathinda violence to the Takht. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which controls the SGPC, has also blamed the Congress for violence.

Another resolution demanded that the Central government speed up the CBI inquiry against Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh in the murder cases being probed by the agency under directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Through another resolution, the SGPC appealed for support from all religions. It also thanked the people of Punjab for remaining peaceful and maintaining communal harmony during the 'bandh' yesterday.

UNI