Haryana Sikhs defer gurdwara take over till next mid November

Kurukshetra, Oct 6 (UNI) The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has defered its decision to take control of Sikh historic shrines in Haryana being run by the Amritsar based (SGPC) till mid-November.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting which members of the adhoc committee of the Haryana SGPC had with Punjab Chief Ministers Adviser, Daljit Singh Cheema at the 6th Patshahi gurdwara here this evening.

Dr Cheema had detailed discussions with the adhoc committee president Jagdish Singh Jhinda and other members. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) senior leader Prem Singh Chandumajra assisted Dr Cheema in the talks.

Dr Cheema and Mr Chandumajra had come here on the directions of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar.

"The Haryana committee has defered its decision till after the 'Gurtagaddi Divas', that is after November 10-20", Dr Cheema said while talking to UNI here.

Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Gurbachan Singh has recently issued an appeal to the Haryana committee to defer its proposed take over bid of shrines till after the 'Gurtagaddi Divas' celebrations.

The Haryana SGPC had last month threatened that it would take over the historic gurdwaras in Haryana if their demand for a separate Sikh shrine body for Haryana was not met by October eight.

Mr Jhinda had yesterday asserted that the decision to take over the sewa of the Chhainvi Patshahi Gurdwara here on October eight was final. Besides the gurdwara here, the other five shrines that have been 'targeted' by the Haryana SGPC are located at Jind (2), Ambala(2) and Nada Sahib near Panchkula. All these shrines are under the direct control of the Amritsar based SGPC which is controlled by the SAD.

Mr Jhinda had alleged that the Amritsar-based SGPC had not done anything for the welfare of Sikhs of Haryana and had siphoned off the offerings of the Gurdwaras in the state to Punjab.

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