Withdraw Sikh Gurdwaras Bill or face stir: SGPC chief Dhami to Punjab government

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) Chief, Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are butting heads over the recently passed Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann posted two tweets referencing this on Monday while taking a jibe at the SGPC Chief and said, “Shiromani Akali Dal Badal’s “Chief Spokesman” Mr Harjinder Singh Dhami ji, in today’s meeting, was there any discussion about the free broadcasting of Holy Gurbani to all or else the meeting ended by passing the resolution to curse me? Dhami ji…a cat does not run away with a wink of a pigeon…”, Mann tweeted. On the other hand, the SGPC General house committee unanimously completely rejected the Sikh Gurudwara Amendment Bill, 2023 passed by the Chief Minister in the Assembly on 20 June. The decision was taken in a special meeting of the SGPC General House held at Teja Singh Samudri Hall on Monday in Amritsar. After the meeting, SGPC President Dhami told the media at the Shiromani Committee office that the meeting was called on behalf of the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee on the subject of amendment bill, passed to broadcast the Gurbani free of cost from Sri Harmandir Sahib.
He also warned that an agitation will be launched against the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government if the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was not withdrawn. Dhami also slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing him of interfering in SGPC matters and trying to implement the “anti-Sikh thinking” of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal with a motive of “capturing” the SGPC.
The leader said that if they [the SGPC] bow down today, the SGPC will “cease to exist”. Dhami said that the bill is “unconstitutionally passed”. “This will not be allowed to be implemented at any cost. If they do not condemn this today, then the existence of SGPC will end.” Dhami said that the Punjab government is “weakening” the Sikh organisation by making the broadcast of the Gurbani an issue. He said that the vote of the majority in the General House of the Shiromani Committee is necessary to amend the Act. If the state government does not stop interference in Sikh matters, then a morcha (agitation) will be started against it after performing “ardas” (prayer) at the Akal Takht and then it will be the responsibility of the state government, he said Dhami said any amendment in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 can be made only with the approval of a two-thirds majority of SGPC members. On Mann’s charge that Dhami was being dictated by SAD leaders, the SGPC chief said he “cannot be dictated”.
Parliament approves the amendment proposal only after it is passed by the General House and sent to the Centre.
Shiromani Committee General Secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal claimed that the Punjab government wishes to “capture” the Shiromani Committee under the guise of the Sikh Gurudwara Amendment Bill. Dhami has said that not only CM Mann but also the Centre has no right to make any kind of amendment. Any amendment to the Sikh Gurudwara Act can be done only on the recommendation of the Shiromani Committee of SGPC. Dhami has also asked CM Mann and MLA Budhram to publicly apologise to the Sikh community for making objectionable remarks against Sikhs.