MAHARASHTRA BJP-ALLIANCE GOVERNMENT’S AMENDMENT

BSP TO CREATES NATIONWIDE AWARENESS AGAINST ATTACK ON RELIGIOUS AUTONOMY
Hoshiarpur :  Daljeet Ajnoha: June 29 :
Dr. Avtar Singh Karimpuri, state president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), strongly condemned the decision of the Maharashtra BJP-led coalition government to unilaterally amend the ‘Nander Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abichalnagar Sahib Act, 1956’. Dr. Karimpuri described the move as a direct and unconstitutional assault on the religious autonomy of the Sikh institutions.
In a special statement, Dr. Avtar Singh Karimpuri, with utmost gravity and foresight, highlighted the political and religious aspects of this issue and said that this is not a managerial reform but a major conspiracy to nationalise Sikh institutions.
Citing historical facts, Dr. Karimpuri warned the Sikh community that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strategy is old and planned. He said, “BJP first forcefully intervened and took over the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. After that, they separated the Sikhs of Haryana from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and had a separate committee formed there, effectively bringing the management of gurdwaras under their control. After the experiences in Delhi and Haryana, their next target is the sacred Takht Sahibaan of the Sikh community, and this process is being initiated by amending the law of Takht Shri Hazur Sahib, Nander.”
The BSP president said that according to the proposed amendment, out of the 17-member management board, 12 members will be directly nominated by the government, while the representative capacity of sectarian institutions such as the Shiromani Committee, Chief Khalsa Diwan and Hazuri Sachkhand Diwan is being unduly reduced or ended. He asked that if the majority of decision-makers will act on the government’s instructions, how will the independence and dignity of the Takht Sahib be preserved?
Dr. Avtar Singh Karimpuri announced that the “Punjab Sambhalo Muhim” run by the BSP is not limited to the rights of Punjab alone, but reflects the sentiments of the Sikh sangat living in the country and abroad. From every forum of the Punjab Sambhalo campaign, voices will be raised against this anti-democratic decision of the Maharashtra government.
Dr. Karimpuri warned strongly that the Sikh community has made great sacrifices for the freedom and sovereignty of their gurdwaras. Governments should learn from Sikh history and refrain from exploiting such sensitive religious matters for political gain. He demanded that the Maharashtra government immediately withdraw any unilateral amendment being made to the Takht Shri Hazur Sahib Act and restore the spirit of the original Act of 1956