'Ensuing Sikh congregation will take Punjab to turbulent times'

The ruling Akali Dal on Sunday warned that the proposed Sarbat Khalsa (open deliberation assembly of Sikh masses) on November 10 would only result in taking Punjab back to the earlier turbulent times.

The party said the assembly of Sikhs was a direct challenge to the Akal Takht — the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs — and was aimed at destroying the principles established by the great sixth Guru. They said the event was against the interest of peace loving Punjabis as well as the Sikh community which did not want the return of the old dark era of unrest at any cost.

Various Sikh organisations have given a call for Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar for Tuesday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Punjab and issues concerning Sikhs, including the clemency to chief of sect Dera Sacha Sauda and the removal of at least three Akal Takht head priests. The Shiromani Gurdwara Par  bandhak Committee (SGPC), which put up advertisements in newspapers on Sunday showing an image that dates back to 1984 of the damaged structure of the Golden temple after Operation Blue Star, maintains that the event lacks sanctity since such a congregation (Sarbat Khalsa) can only be called by the Akal Takht.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) appealed to Sikhs to understand and reject anti-panthic and anti-Punjab forces who wanted to destroy the institution of the Akal Takth to divide and weaken the Sikh Panth.

SAD leaders including secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and cabinet minster Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said  it was clear from the recent events that some vested interests were exploiting Sikh sentiments arising out of the ghastly incidents of sacrilege. “These forces must know that the incidents of sacrilege were planned and executed by anti national forces and they should not play into the hands of such forces,” the leaders said.