Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday came down heavily on Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) during a press conference. CM Mann briefed the media that Punjab Government received memorandums and requests from Sikh Sangats to investigate the case of missing Saroops of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
CM Mann said that there was anger among Sikh community over the missing saroops case. Punjab Chief Minister further questioned SGPC on why did they say that issue of the missing saroops is now over after the government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case.
Addressing the media, CM Mann said, "For the past 6-7 years there is an anger among Sikh Community and Sangats over a sad incident. The case which I am talking about 328 missing Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Some even claim that the number is 368."
"Various Sikh organisations and jathebandis have demanded and even gave memorandums in the case. When nothing happened in the case, they even sat on dharnas. Many also reached out to us to investigate this case asking where did Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji go?"
"Sikh sangats should know the truth of the case. Sikh Sangats requested us to investigate the case. We filed an FIR and even formed an SIT so that the case can be investigated properly."
"All of a sudden, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on getting directions of their masters started doing press briefings. They started saying it is matter of financial scam and not linked to the missing Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji."
"In a way they stated that the issue of missing saroops is now over. Not only this, but SGPC Pradhan ji is saying that 10-20 scams often keeps on happening," said CM Mann.
Slamming Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the CM said that we cannot clash with Sri Akal Takht. He said that the Akali Dal was formed in 1920. Now it's 105 years old. In those years, it was a party of lions. Today, they have turned it into a party of lizards. Today, they are roaming around with inflated egos.
CM Mann further said, "I cannot understand how are we interfering in internal matter of Sikh community. It is not known till now what happened to those saroops."
The CM further said that the SGPC president is being used like a puppet.
For the unversed, the five Sikh high priests led by Sri Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj on Sunday objected to the SIT probe into the missing 328 “saroops” of the Guru Granth Sahib.
They said it amounted to government interference in internal affairs of Sikhs, which was against the Constitution.
They also said extending any kind of cooperation to the government or the police over the issue “was not in the interest of the Sikh Panth” and it should be resolved only through the Akal Takht or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
