India on Friday evening summoned Pakistan's top diplomat in Delhi to strongly protest the issue of changing the management of Kartarpur Gurudwara. A project management unit was formed under the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP) that had no Sikh on it, sparking angry reactions by Sikh groups.
Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India conveyed to Pakistan's Action High Commissioner Aftab Hasan, "that this unilateral decision by Pakistan is highly condemnable" and "runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as also the religious sentiments of the Sikh community at large."
New Delhi has already received many representations from the Sikh community over the development expressing grave concern at this decision by Pakistan.
The MEA spokesperson said, "Pakistan is called upon to reverse its arbitrary decision to deprive the Sikh minority community of it’s right to manage affairs of the Holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib."
Founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev Ji, spent the last 18 years of his life in the Gurudwara, which is just a few kilometres away from the International border with India. Earlier the Gurudwara's management was under Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
It's for the first time that the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has been scrapped off its management rights of this sacred Gurudwara.