SGPC to move court against AAP leaders

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will move court against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, party spokesperson Ashish Khetan and Punjab Dialogue chief Kanwar Sandhu for allegedly showing disrespect to the Guru Granth Sahib and hurting Sikh sentiments.

Rejecting the apology offered by Khetan, Sandhu and HS Phoolka for comparing the AAP ‘youth manifesto’ with Guru Granth Sahib, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said today that this was a case of blasphemy, for which the AAP leaders should be punished.

“There are some crimes which can’t be pardoned,” said Makkar. When asked about Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who had been accused of distorting a verse of Guru Gobind Singh while campaigning for Arun Jaitley in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Makkar said, “There can be a slip of tongue during a public address. It was not done deliberately.”

On the use of pictures of gurdwaras by the Shiromani Akali Dal in its election manifesto, Makkar said, “Such pictures can’t be used by political parties which make false promises.” He added that the SAD had fulfilled all promises listed in its manifesto.

Meanwhile, All India Sikh Student Federation chief Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad said a meeting of Sikh organisations had been convened in Jalandhar to plan the course of action. He criticised the state government for not arresting Khetan. He also demanded an apology from Kejriwal.