Amarinder welcomes Akal Takht directive

He said that the directive had come at a time when Sikhs could have been pitted against Sikhs

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Congress leader Amarinder Singh today welcomed the Akal Takht directive to call off the Sikh congregations at Amritsar and Karnal in Haryana planned by SAD over the Haryana SGPC, saying it had come at a time when Sikhs could have been pitted against Sikhs.

Terming the directive "historical", Amarinder, in a statement, said the Akal Takht had acted at the right moment considering aspirations of Sikhs across Punjab and Haryana.

Jathedar Akal Takht Gyani Gurbachan Singh, earlier in the day, issued a directive to Sikhs of Haryana, ruling SAD (Badal) and the entire Sikh community not to hold any kind of rally or convention tomorrow in Amritsar and in Karnal.

It is a historic directive by the Akal Takht which led to the easing of the situation that was building up across the two states and had the potential of pitting "Sikhs against Sikhs", Amarinder said.

He also said wisdom may also have finally dawned upon those who were "aimlessly" and "needlessly" opposing Haryana SGPC, which was "the genuine right" of the Sikhs living there.

Wishing the newly constituted Haryana SGPC success, Singh hoped that the adhoc committee will ensure that the elections are conducted at the earliest and it is made a true representative body of Sikhs in Haryana.

Singh also hoped that it will help meet the expectations of people who struggled and fought for it and take the fight to the logical conclusion.

Meanwhile, All India Sikh Students Federation also hailed the directive of Akal Takhat Jathedar Gyani Gurbachan Singh, asking Akali Dal and Sikhs in Haryana to call of their conferences.