SGPC rejects Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report, says panel committed sacrilege

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday rejected the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report, terming it “bogus”.

“The report has been deliberately made public before the assembly session and we protest this act. This is a baseless report made to vitiate peaceful atmosphere of Punjab,” stated the resolution passed by the executive panel of the apex gurdwara body during an emergency meeting at its head office here.

The SGPC said it had already rejected the commission — constituted by Capt Amarinder Singh-led government to probe sacrilege incidents in Punjab — which is a puppet in the hands of the Congress.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal chaired the meeting, which was attended by almost all office-bearers, including general secretary Gurbachan Singh Karmuwala, and officials, including chief secretary Roop Singh.

The panel took no time to pass the resolution unanimously without any debate. “The executive committee feels that this is a so-called commission. It was set up to probe the incidents of sacrilege. But it is itself accused of sacrilege as it kept the sacred pages of Guru Granth Sahib in malkhana (police store room). This is a grave offence committed by the panel,” stated the resolution.

The SGPC alleged the commission used objectionable words for the Akal Takht (highest temporal seat of the Sikhs), its jathedar and the elected body of the Sikhs and its office-bearers. “The commission has exposed itself... it is pro-Congress as it has created confusion in public about the established Sikh institutions. This commission has misused the government machinery by forging witnesses,” said the resolution.

Meanwhile, Amrik Singh Shahpur, the executive member representing the opposition in the SGPC House, walked out of the meeting in protest against the stand taken on the commission report. “I don’t agree with the stand taken against the commission. It is a deception with Guru Granth Sahib and the community,” he said. “The full report is yet to be made public. Rejecting it at this stage makes no sense.”

First Published: Aug 25, 2018 23:27 IST