Slogans raised against Vedanti

[nonihal singh]

Amritsar, August 11. Unsavoury situation was witnessed outside the Akal Takht secretariat when slogans like “Jathedar Akal Takht murdabad” were openly raised here today. This is for the first time in the Sikh history that anybody raised such slogans in full public view.

Earlier, two persons, including a senior official of Damdami Taksal, entered in a hot wordy duel with Jathedar Vedanti outside the Akal Takht secretariat. Mr Prithipal Singh Sandhu, personal assistant to the Jathedar, Akal Takht, alleged that Bhai Amrik Singh, senior functionary of Damdami Taksal, and Mr Bhupinder Singh allegedly used derogatory remarks against Jathedar Vedanti.

Talking to TNS, Jathedar Vedanti said strict action would be taken against the persons who created ruckus outside the Akal Takht secretariat. Apart from summoning them to Akal Takht, the Jathedar, Akal Takht, is contemplating to write to Damdami Taksal for taking action against Bhai Amrik Singh.

The Jathedar, Akal Takht, had fixed August 11 to deliver his decision to resolve the controversy over the placing of Guru Granth Sahib in a mosque of Gadli village which was later converted into a gurdwara after Partition of the country. While a group of villagers had lodged a complaint against the caretakers of the mosque-cum-gurdwara and sought the removal of Guru Granth Sahib as per Sikh Maryada, the other group was adamant to keep Guru Granth Sahib there. However, a day before the final hearing which was fixed for today, the complainants had allegedly reached Gadli village for removing Guru Granth Sahib and placing the same at a gurdwara. However, the police was called in the village to defuse the situation.

This irked Jath

edar Vedanti who refused to meet the complainants. Jathedar Vedanti asked both Bhai Amrik Singh and Mr Bhupinder Singh as to why they entered in confrontation with the opposite party when directive in this regard was to be delivered today. On this Bhai Amrik Singh and Mr Bhupinder Singh alleged that the Jathedar, Akal Takht, had been conniving with the opposite party.

Meanwhile, in his directive, Jathedar Vedanti directed Mr Veer Singh to remove Guru Granth Sahib from the controversial place and keep the same at the adjoining gurdwara till a proper building was constructed. He has also directed him to shift the ‘Nishan Sahib’ pitched in the memory of the assassins of Gen A.S.Vaidya, Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukha, inside the gurdwara complex.