'Political conspiracy': SGPC slams registration of FIR in missing Guru Granth Sahib ‘saroops’ case

Amritsar, Dec 11 (PTI) The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Thursday dubbed the registration of an FIR in the missing 328 'saroops' (sacred copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib as a direct challenge to the Akal Takht and an unwarranted interference in its administrative rights.

Police on December 7 registered a case in Amritsar against 16 people, including SGPC's former chief secretary, in connection with the disappearance of 'saroops' in 2020.

In a meeting of the executive committee of the apex gurdwara body here, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said action regarding the 'saroops' had already been completed in accordance with the directives of the Akal Takht.

But the recent participation of ministers, the Punjab Assembly speaker, and MLAs in a protest in Amritsar ”and their directions to the police to register an FIR, ”clearly reveals that the government "is intentionally exploiting the matter for political gain", Dhami said.

He said the issue concerning the sacred 'saroops' of the Guru Granth Sahib is not one of sacrilege or missing 'saroops', but rather of financial misappropriation committed by some employees.

Presenting this matter as sacrilege or missing 'saroops' is a "political conspiracy" aimed at defaming the premier Sikh institution and hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community, ”an agenda in which the current Punjab government is fully involved, he alleged.

Later, speaking to reporters, Dhami said that the inquiry committee formed by the Akal Takht under the leadership of advocate Dr Ishar Singh clarified in its report that certain employees of the SGPC's publication department, driven by personal greed, attempted unsuccessfully to conceal their wrongdoing.

He said that based on this report, action was taken through executive committee resolution on August 27, 2020, and legal action against some employees had also been decided.

However, since various Sikh scholars, and even the report of Dr. Ishar Singh, did not recommend registration of a police case, the executive committee through resolution of September 5, 2020 approved taking internal action instead of legal proceedings.

This was because police interference in the examination of the sacred 'saroops' of the Guru Granth Sahib would violate Sikh 'maryada' and tradition, he said.

Dhami added that both these resolutions were later ratified through the general house.

The SGPC president said the government's recent decision to register an FIR in the matter is aimed at hiding its "own failures" in Punjab and fulfilling its "political motives", as even after four years in power, ”having campaigned on the issue of sacrilege, ”the government has failed to deliver justice on this issue.

He further said through the resolution passed in Thursday's meeting, the SGPC has strongly condemned the government's attempt to "malign" the management of Sikh institutions and issued a warning that the Sikh 'Panth' will never tolerate government interference in its institutions.

He said that it was also resolved that since action in the entire matter has already been taken under the direction of the Akal Takht, the whole case will now be sent to the Jathedar of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs for further deliberation and orders.

Responding to a question, he said that a Hindi book related to 'Sikh History, translated from an English text in 1999, had already been banned and withdrawn by the SGPC, and advertisements about this had been issued twice in newspapers.

The matter pertaining to missing 328 'saroops' of Guru Granth Sahib from the SGPC's publication house in Amritsar came to light in June 2020, leading to a major controversy at that time.

The police on December 7 registered the FIR under sections 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship or sacred object with intent to insult a religion), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (forgery) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Division-C police station in Amritsar.

Among 16 who were booked included SGPC former chief secretary Roop Singh and the then secretary of Dharam Parchar Committee Manjit Singh. PTI JMS CHS KVK KVK