Haryana gurdwara committee violates Nehru-Tara Singh pact:CM

Chandigarh, Aug 16 (UNI) Expressing his opposition to the proposed move of the Haryana government of forming a seprate committee to manage the affairs of Sikh shrines in the neighbouring state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that this was violative of the Nehru-Master Tara Singh pact.

" The agreement clearly states that any such proposal has to be first passed by a two third majority in the general house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC)", he said while talking to mediapersons here today.

" Settled matters or issues should not be touched", he said when his attention was drawn to the Chatha Committeee report on this issue which had been submitted to the Haryana government. The Committee was formed by the Haryana government following demands from a section of the Sikhs of the state to have a body of their own to manage gurdwaras.

While pointing out that the SGPC had jurisdiction of historic gurdwaras in Haryana as per the Nehru-Master Tara Singh pact, Mr Badal said that the central leadership had been sounded on the issue.

SGPC delegations had met the Prime Minister and other leaders and apprised them of the sensitive nature of the matter, he added.

Denying that the Akali leadership had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, as the proposed move had the backing of the Haryana government, Mr Badal quipped "the matter should be in her knowledge as she gets feedbacks from various sources".

UNI