Chandigarh/Amritsar: The Akal Takht’s acting jathedar, head of the Sikh clergy, set up a committee on Saturday to look into the practice of carrying the holy Guru Granth Sahib to protest sites, days after Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and his supporters carried the holy scripture during a march to a police station in Ajnala.
Thousands of Amritpal’s supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into a police station in Ajnala on the outskirts of the Amritsar city on February 23, demanding the release of Lovepreet Singh, a key aide of the separatist leader who was imprisoned in an abduction-and-assault case. Defying prohibitory orders, the protesters clashed with police, broke through barricades, fought pitched street battles while carrying the Guru Granth Sahib to hold “amrit sanchar” (a Sikh ceremony) at the police station. Amritpal withdrew the stir only after police assured him of the release of Lovepreet.
Lovepreet walked out of Amritsar Central Jail on Friday afternoon, after police moved a discharge application in a local court and said the accused’s role was not established in the investigation.
The decision of the protesters to carry the holy scripture sparked a row as several Sikh scholars objected to it.
Taking note of the matter, the acting jathedar said on Saturday: “A committee has been set up to discuss about carrying the holy saroop of Guru Granth Sahib to places like sites of protest, demonstration and other disputed places, where apprehension remains of hurting respect and dignity of the Guru Granth Sahib.”
“The committee comprises representatives of traditional Sikh sects, seminaries, organisations and scholars. It will give its report in 15 days. Panj Singh Sahiban (five Sikh clergymen presided over by the Akal Takht jathedar) will give their final verdict over this issue after considering the report,” he added.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the practice, saying that those who used the Guru Granth Sahib as a shield to reach the police station cannot be called “waris” (heirs) of Punjab.
“Anyone making Shabad Guru Shri Guru Granth Sahib a shield to protest at police stations cannot be called the waris of Punjab and Punjabiat,” Mann tweeted in Punjabi on Saturday.
Punjab police chief Gaurav Yadav held a meeting on Saturday with police personnel up to the rank of station house officers (SHOs) and directed them to deal with law-and-order situations sternly.
“Held a state-level review meeting through video-conference with senior police officers, range IGs/DIGs/CP/SSPs, all sub-divisional DSPs and all SHOs in Punjab to review action against organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism,” the DGP tweeted.
“Have directed all officers to do professional policing, build capacity and police infrastructure in the state,” he added.
Last year, Amritpal Singh was anointed the head of Waris Punjab De, which was founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu who was killed in a road accident last February.