Badal opposes creation of separate SGPC for Haryana

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today strongly opposed creation of a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for Haryana and urged the Centre to stop the move initiated by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government.
Badal alleged that the Congress government in Haryana was taking the initiative with an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections and the Central government must ensure by enacting a law that SGPC remains the only organisation to look after the religious affairs of Sikhs.
"The entire Sikh community is upset with the Hooda government's move. It is unlawful. Even people of Haryana rejected the Congress nominees in SGPC polls. Their all 11 candidates lost the last SGPC polls. We have asked the Central government to stop Haryana's move," Badal, who led a delegation of members of Parliament from Punjab, told reporters after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Chief Minister said the SGPC came into existence following the 1925 Gurdwara Act after years of struggle and sacrifice by thousands of people against the British ploy to divide the community.
"We cannot allow this to happen. The SGPC is like Sikh Parliament. We cannot tolerate any move to split it," Badal said.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has also accused Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his government of interfering in the religious affairs of the Sikhs by once again raising the issue of a separate Gurdwara committee in Haryana.