Demolition of Gurdwara ‘deori’ at Tarn Taran: SGPC chief should quit: AAP

Chandigarh, April 1

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has expressed its deep shock and dismay over the alleged demolition of 200-year-old ‘deodi’ (Porch) of the historic Gurudwara Sri Darbar Sahib at Tarn Taran.

In a joint statement issued from party headquarters in Chandigarh here on Monday, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Vidhan Harpal Singh Cheema, Prof Baljinder Kaur, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Jai Kishan Rori, Amarjit Singh Sandoa, and Kulwant Singh Pandori (All MLAs) have severely condemned the act of demolition of the ancient ‘deodi’.

The AAP leaders said that the ‘deodi’, raised in 1839 by Naunihal Singh, grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was demolished under the nose of the apex body, which was regrettable, they said. They further said the apex body had denigrated the authority and honour of the religious places playing puppet in the hands of Badals.  

The AAP leaders said that the SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal had been playing a second fiddle to Badals, adding that he should immediately tender his resignation from the post on the issue of protection of religious landmarks and other institutions.  

AAP leaders said that SGPC should not hold others responsible for this act, saying how a manager level officer could take an unilateral decision on this issue of huge religious significance without consulting its chief or any other member of the managing body.

They said AAP was a secular party which holds all religions and religious institutions in high esteem but added that it was deadly against the mixing of politics with religion.

The AAP leaders said that the Badals had been misusing SGPC, known as the mini parliament of Sikh Panth, for their personal ends and earning some political brownie points. The leaders demanded filing of a legal suit against the SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal, the ‘kar sewaks’ and member of the managing committee for dereliction of duty.

The leaders also demanded a high level probe into the dubious roll of the SGPC chief, the Kar Sewaks, the Badals and others involved under the watch of Punjab and Haryana High Court. They also sought restoration of the ancient ‘deodi’ to its pristine glory.