Gurudwara Committee Condemns Shah's Remark Regarding Bhindranwale As 'Hateful', 'Disrespectful'

The SGPC strongly condemned Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remark on Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, considering it anti-Sikh and disrespectful of Sikhism.

The gurudwara committee denounced Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remarks in Parliament regarding Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Source : PTI

The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has condemned Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remark in Parliament regarding Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The Gurudwara committee passed a resolution denouncing Shah's statement as anti-Sikh and an insult to India's diverse heritage. 

The resolution was adopted during the SGPC's budget session in Amritsar reaffirming Bhindranwale as a national martyr who sacrificed his life for the dignity and identity of Sikhism, reported India Today. 

The row erupted after the Union minister said in Parliament that some people in Punjab "were trying to become Bhindranwale, and today they are sitting in an Assam jail reading Sri Guru Granth Sahib."  

Shah's Remark 'Hateful, Disrespectful' 

The gurudwara committee condmened Shah's remark as hateful and disrespoectful. It particularly criticised his alleged sarcasm over the recitation of Gurbani. The committee stressed that reading the religious text is an intergal part of Sikh religious practice and urged the government to respect the sentiments of the community.

The SGPC also passed ten other resolutions, apart from denouncing Shah's remark, addressing key issues relating to the Sikh community. The committee demanded the setting up of a visa office in Amritsar to facilitate Sikh pilgrims travelling to Pakistan, citing the inconvenience faced by devotees visiting historical gurudwaras across the border. 

Reservation For Sikhs 

The committee also passed a resolution demanding a reservation quota for Sikhs in the armed forces, highlighting the community's historical contributions to national defence. 

It also welcomed the recent court ruling sentencing Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 Sikh genocide case in another resolution. The committee demanded justice in other pending cases and the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their legal sentences. 

The committee denounced increasing hostility towards Sihk outside Punjab and called for strict action against communal incidents, particularly in Himachal Pradesh.