Pb govt not involved in demolition of 'Darshani Deodi', says Amarinder

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday said his government had no role in the demolition of a portion of the historic 'Darshani Deodi' at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Tarn Taran.

Terming the incident as an "unsavoury and unfortunate", the chief minister said in a statement that the religious issue fell in the exclusive domain of the Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC)- the mini parliament of Sikhs.

Three days ago, activists of the Sikh outfit 'Kar Sewa' led by Baba Jagtar Singh had allegedly demolished a portion of the 200-year-old 'Darshani Deodi' prompting political outfits to demand the resignation of the SGPC chief for failing to protect the site.

"As a secular party, the Congress did not believe in any sort of religious interference," he said in a statement, adding that his government was completely aligned to the party principles and did not stand for interference of any kind in matters of faith.

The SGPC alone could take any decision on the issue, which was a religious matter and hence, required to be treated as such, he added.

Responding to queries from the media and other quarters, including the opposition, the CM asserted that, as in the past, his government and the Congress party would continue to distance itself from religious issues that came under the SGPC's purview.

"Political interference in religious matters was against the basic spirit and ethos of the Indian Constitution, which the Congress as well as his government were committed to upholding at all costs," the CM said.

An elected government could step in only if a religious issue assumed disruptive proportions and needed intervention to ensure the maintenance of law and order in the state, he added.