CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday strongly criticized the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akali Dal, accusing them of using Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Panth as a shield to avoid action against their alleged misdeeds. Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said that the entire Sangat is deeply anguished over the lack of action in the case of 328 missing saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. He said that acting on its moral responsibility, the Punjab Government has registered an FIR and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
CM Mann alleged that instead of cooperating with the investigation, the SGPC, at the behest of the Akali leadership, has been misleading the public and accusing the state government of interfering in religious affairs. He claimed that despite the SGPC’s own resolutions passed in 2020 to take strict action against erring officials and publishers, no concrete steps were taken to fix accountability. The Chief Minister further alleged that influential individuals close to the Akali leadership were being shielded, and that earlier decisions to initiate criminal proceedings and recover misused funds were later withdrawn to protect vested interests.
The Chief Minister asserted that the Punjab Government remains committed to ensuring justice in the missing saroops case and will not allow religious institutions to be misused for political protection. He also criticised the SGPC for remaining silent on instances of alleged disrespect to Sikh Gurus on social media, and accused the present Akali leadership of abandoning the interests of Punjab for power. CM Mann said the Akali Dal, once known as a party of “lions,” has now been reduced to “dinosaurs,” adding that his government will continue to act in the larger interest of the Panth and the people of Punjab.
