SGPC demands return of artefacts "taken away" during Op Bluestar

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Thursday demanded the return of the artefacts, allegedly taken away by the Army during Operation Bluestar in 1984.

Addressing the media here, SGPC chief secretary Roop Singh said the holy scriptures, artefacts and historical books, which were part of the Sikh Reference Library, were taken away by the Army during the operation.

When asked that a section of media had reported that the Centre had returned the artefacts to the SGPC, Singh claimed that only a few copies of historical books were returned.

He said still a large quantity of material and handwritten copies of the Guru Granth Sahib were with the Centre.

The SGPC Thursday held a meeting with the officials who served the Sikh body in the past 35 years to verify facts related to the issue.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the issue on June 6, demanding that the artefacts be returned.