Amritsar, January 2 – Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami in statement issued here today has completely rejected allegations leveled yesterday by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann on the SGPC of stalling work of a medical college in Sangrur district.
Dhami said under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, the SGPC manages Gurdwara Sahibs and Gurdwara Angitha Sahib, Akal Sagar, Mastuana (Sangrur) was notified by the Punjab Government under Section 7(3) of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act on September 4, 1964, and the SGPC is responsible for its management and property.
SGPC President said that after notification of Gurdwara Angitha Sahib, Akal Sagar, Mastuana under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act; in 1966, one Lal Singh and others filed a petition before the Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal under Section 8, which was dismissed by the Tribunal in 1973. Lal Singh and others filed an appeal against the decision of Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal in 1976 at Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh, which was dismissed by the high court in 1984. In 1985, Gurdwara Akal Sagar and Angitha Sahib, Mastuana were declared Sikh Gurdwaras by the Punjab Government under Section 17 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act through a Notification No. 936 GP and that the rules of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act 1925 are applicable to them. He said that the Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal dismissed an appeal filed against this decision in 1986 by Brigadier Khushalpal Singh, President of Sant Attar Singh Guru Sagar Trust, Mastuana. In 1986, Khushalpal Singh appealed to the high court, which stayed the matter in 1987.
He said that despite the case in the High court and the stay, Baba Darshan Singh gifted 137 kanal 18 marla of land located at Badrukhan village to the Punjab government without any right to open a medical college on May 23, 2022, on which the SGPC appealed to the high court, which ordered to maintain the status-quo. He said that in order to become a party in this case, Baba Darshan Singh filed a petition CM No. 15819/22 and similarly, Lok Bhalai Insaaf Welfare Society has also filed a petition to become a party in this case, while raising a strong objection on gifting Gurdwara property to the Punjab Government and to save the property.
Dhami said that the SGPC values the feelings of Sangat (community) of the area and the SGPC had decided in its executive meeting on November 22, 2022 and offered the Punjab government to start a written dialogue, but no positive response has been received from the government side. He said that if the CM Bhagwant Singh Mann is serious about building a medical college, he should talk to the SGPC, understanding the legal aspects, so that this issue can be resolved amicably.
