(Warns district police to recover ‘swaroop’ and arrest accused or be ready for forceful agitation by ‘sangat’)
Harinder Nikka Patiala, 8 August 2020
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Gobind Singh Longowal today condemned chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Patiala mp Preneet Kaur for remaining mute spectators and even refusing to comfort the Sikh Sangat which was in turmoil after a ‘swaroop’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji Maharaj was stolen from Ardaspura Sahib gurdwara near Moti Mohal residence of the chief minister.
Addressing a protest ‘dharna’ organized in front of the office of the SSP, Patiala the SGPC President said it was shocking that it was seventeen days since the historic ‘swaroop’ was stolen from the gurdwara but the chief minister and his wife and Patiala mp Preneet Kaur had not spoken a single word condemning this dastardly act. Warning the district police to recover the ‘swaroop’ immediately and arrest those responsible for this heinous crime, Bhai Gobind Singh Longowal said if this was not done the SGPC would be forced to agitate forcefully to ensure justice in the case.
Bhai Longowal said the theft of the ‘swaroop’ was another effort in the long line of steps being taken by anti-Sikh forces to weaken the Sikh panth as well as its representative bodies including the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He said some ‘jathebandis’ were also playing into the hands of the Congress party. He said the same organizations were used by the Congress to divide the Sikh community following sacrilege cases and that they were again playing into the hands of the Congress by remaining silent about the theft of the ‘swaroop’ from Kalyan village.
The SGPC President also led a delegation which included senior SGPC members Rajinder Singh Mehta, Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, Harinder Singh Dhami and Kuldeep Kaur Tohra to the SSP office and submitted a memorandum demanding recovery of the ‘swaroop’ and arrest of the culprits. Bhai Longowal later told newsmen that the SGPC was forced to protest because the district police had taken the heinous crime casually and did not take required efforts to nab the perpetrators.
Earlier at the dharna site the ‘sangat’ recited ‘satnam waheguru’ and expressed its angst against the district police and administration as well as Congress ministers and legislators of the area for neither condemning the incident nor visiting Gurdwara Ardaspura Sahib to express solidarity with the ‘sangat’. Senior leader Gurcharan Singh Grewal announced that in case the administration did not deliver results the SGPC would announce its next line of action on August 18. Local SGPC member Satwinder Singh Tohra thanked the SGPC executive, members and the ‘sangat’ which came out in large numbers to support the SGPC effort to ensure justice in the case. EOM
