SGPC to take legal action against 'X', says apex gurdwara body chief

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Monday said it will take legal action against social media platform X, formerly Twitter, for not shutting down a fake account in the name of the apex gurdwara body that is allegedly being used to spread hate propaganda against Sikhs.

A decision to this effect was taken at the executive committee meeting of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami told reporters that, by passing a special resolution, the executive committee condemned the hate propaganda against Sikhs and Sikh organisations on social media.

Through this resolution, it has been decided to take legal action against X regarding a "fake/parody" account created in the SGPC's name to unleash hate propaganda, he said.

Dhami said the SGPC's image is being tarnished through this fake/parody account and, despite a complaint regarding it, X did not shut it down and even justified it under its policy.

Now, legal action will be taken against this fake account and X, he said.

The SGPC has also decided to convene a special meeting of Sikh scholars and senior lawyers in Chandigarh to discuss the next strategy for the release of Sikh prisoners.

The apex gurdwara body is raising its voice at all levels against the "violation of human rights and injustice by the government to the Sikh prisoners", Dhami said.

Recently, an SGPC delegation met Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit over the issue. The apex gurdwara body had claimed that the prisoners were lodged in different prisons despite having completed their sentences.

Now, a meeting of Sikh scholars and senior lawyers has been called in Chandigarh on November 25 to draw up the future strategy, Dhami said.

The programme for the future will be announced after considering the suggestions by calling a special meeting of Sikh organisations, the SGPC chief added.

The apex gurdwara body has also taken notice of the absence of a firm policy regarding the ongoing voter registration process of the SGPC.

Dhami said the Punjab government is not "serious" about registering voters for the SGPC's general elections, due to which very few registrations have been made so far.

"The main reason for this is the government's interference in this matter," he alleged.