Amritsar: A letter by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) addressing the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat demanded his intervention in preventing the RSS and BJP from interfering with Sikh affairs.
The letter said that for some time now, the BJP and RSS have visibly been interfering in Sikh affairs, which is creating a rift in the mutual religious relations in this multi-cultural and multi-religious society that the letter feared will deepen in future.
The letter, written by SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal, generally alleged the RSS and BJP interference but particularly pointed out the incidents of their involvement in connection with the annual election of office bearers of the SGPC on November 9.
"But sadly, the BJP-led central government and its leaders are interfering directly to complicate SGPC affairs. An example of this interference came to the fore during the annual election of office bearers of the SGPC on November 9," said Grewal in the letter.
Earlier, the SGPC and Shiromani Akali Dal had made similar complaints against the Punjab and Haryana governments, and National Commission for Minorities chairperson Iqbal Singh Lalpura. The SGPC and SAD said that the two governments and those saffron party leaders who bear constitutional posts were on to break the gurdwara body.
The incident of RSS and BJP interference in the said election has connected with Lalpura's interest in bringing back an expelled leader to the SGPC presidential election. Bibi Jagir Kaur has been expelled from the body but the SAD accused National Commission for Minorities chairperson Lalpura wanted Kaur to be made a contestant against the SAD's official candidate Harjinder Singh Dhami.
"If it (interference) is happening without your knowledge, then you should immediately intervene and if it is (happening) with your knowledge, then it is the right time for your organisation (RSS) to think upon your ideological approach as this is creating a rift in the mutual religious relations in this multi-cultural and multi-religious society, which I fear will deepen in future," the SGPC leader's letter said to Bhagwat.
"We suggest that the RSS and the BJP should stop interfering in Sikh issues. We hope that you will think deeply about this and stay away from the activities of the Sikh organisations and the activities that complicate the issues of Sikhs in the future," wrote Grewal.