Punjab: Sikh group objects to bricks laid near house of Akal Takht jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh

AMRITSAR: The Sikh Sadbhawana Dal (SSD) on Friday asked the SGPC to remove certain bricks which had been laid in a drain near the house of the officiating jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh, claiming that the bricks had the word ‘Ram’ written on them.
Calling the bricks “objectionable”, SSD demanded the bricks be removed by June 21.
Baldev Singh Vadala, former hazuri ragi of Golden Temple and head of SSD, told reporters on Friday that the laying of such bricks in a drain would be hurtful to the religious sentiments of Hindus and could create problems in future. He said people could later also claim the bricks were part of a temple and use these to reach the conclusion that the Golden Temple was a Hindu temple earlier. To bring an end to the controversy once and for all, the SGPC should remove all the bricks, said Vadala, adding: “If the SGPC doesn’t remove the objectionable bricks, SSD will remove them.”
Denying that there were any bricks inscribed with Ram in them, SGPC media assistant secretary Kulwinder Singh Ramdas said karsewa (voluntary service) of the drain was carried out by Baba Chhinda Singh during the tenure of then SGPC president Jagir Kaur. He said 100-150 bricks were needed for karsewa and were procured from a local supplier.
“When it came to the notice of SGPC, the karsewa was stalled and bricks sent back to the supplier,” Ramdas said, adding that an inquiry was conducted by the then manager of Golden Temple, Gurinder Singh. He said even the supplier said he had not noticed the inscription on the bricks and maintained he had not intentionally supplied the bricks in question.