In the face of widespread protests over desecration of Sikh holy books, ruling Shiromani Akali Dal on Sunday asked the people of Punjab to unite against what it called “extremist forces” bent on faning religious passions and urged them to uphold the supremacy of Akal Takht and SGPC.
SAD also took a strong exception to statements of the opposition parties, including Congress and AAP at Bargari on Sunday and alleged that they were hell bent on “disturbing” the peace and harmony in the state. In a joint statement here, senior SAD leaders and MPs including Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhundur and Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said “extremist forces” were working to “dilute” the authority of both Akal Takth as well as the SGPC. The leaders urged Sikhs to have faith in both the SGPC and the Akal Takth and work with the Sikh institutions to tackle and resolve the issue of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib.
“They are simultaneously targeting the SAD so that all panthic institutions are destroyed in Punjab and earlier turbulent times return in the state,” they said. The leaders asserted that the desecration of holy books was planned to fan religious passions, which is now being directed against the very religious institutions as well as the party which had “always stood to protect the interests of Sikhs and Sikhism.”
“The decade-long spell of terrorism had also started in Punjab with provocative actions like the recent desecrations. Even then, the first institution to be attacked was the SGPC with many of its members being killed by extremist elements,” they said in the statement.