At a time when Punjab Police is probing the projectile attack at the headquarters of its intelligence wing in Mohali, radical Sikh leader and chief of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann has raised the ‘Khalistan’ bogey yet again.
Mr. Mann has urged the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) – the body responsible for the management of gurdwaras, to support the pro-Khalistan resolution, which he claimed was unanimously passed in 1946 by the SGPC.
Mr. Mann raised the issue surrounding ‘Khalistan’ at a meeting convened by the SGPC on Wednesday at its headquarters Teja Singh Samundri Hall in Amritsar, for deliberating the release of Sikh prisoners.
Mr. Mann assured cooperation in the “Panthic” [Sikh] interests, adding that the meeting held after a long time is historic in itself, which will definitely yield good results.
He said in 1946, the SGPC had passed a resolution wanting Khalistan. “Our ancestors had in this hall passed a resolution on Khalistan. I don’t want to speak much. I want the SGPC to support that resolution. We should have something in our hand if we have to ask something from the regime. The SGPC should again raise the 1946 resolution on Khalistan and make it our programme,” said Mr. Mann, a two-time Member of Parliament.
At the SGPC meeting, apart from calling for a united struggle for the release of Sikh prisoners, three important resolutions were unanimously passed, including forming a joint committee, meeting the country’s President, Prime Minister, Home Minister and Chief Ministers and Governors of different States. It was also resolved to appeal to all the Sikh Members of Parliament irrespective of their political affiliation to raise their voice for the Sikh prisoners in both Houses of Parliament.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh said that although different representative bodies of the Sikh Panth are making efforts for the release of Sikh prisoners, joint efforts will be carried forward now under the leadership of Sri Akal Takht – the highest Sikh temporal seat.
As Punjab Police on Thursday continued to conduct raids across the State and suspects were being rounded up for questioning in the projectile attack case, the timing of Mr. Mann’s statement is seen as critical. The police have not ruled out terror angle in the attack. Punjab Director General of Police V.K. Bhawra had said that the explosives used appeared to be Trinitrotoluene (TNT). The police had also recovered the launcher.
AAP criticism
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has already come under severe criticism from the political parties as the incident is being seen as a major intelligence failure. Punjab has seen an era of militancy from mid-1980s to mid-1990s.
Others who addressed the meeting included Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka, former DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna, Manjit Singh G.K., Jathedar Baljit Singh Daduwal, Baba Naurang Singh from Tarna Dal, Baba Manmohan Singh Barn from Buddha Dal, Surinder Singh Kishanpura from Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Sarabjit Singh Chhina from Chief Khalsa Diwan, Bibi Kamaldeep Kaur – sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana (convicted for the assassination of the then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh). Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and SGPC president Harjinder Singh were also present.
