Discussions are going on about the statements made by Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi regarding the Sikh community in America. Meanwhile, Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh of Takht Damdama Sahib has termed his statements as ‘correct’. However, he has also said that the condition of the Sikh community was not good during the rule of Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party had criticized Rahul’s statement in America.
According to the Times of India report, Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said, “Historically, Sikhs have faced persecution and genocide during the Congress rule, but what Rahul has said about Sikhs is correct.” Talking to the newspaper, he said, “The situation is the same for the community. Every new draconian law is first used against Sikhs.”
He also talked about hate propaganda being run against the Sikh community. He said, ‘Hate propaganda against the community is continuing and has even increased now.’
The special thing is that the statement by Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has come at a time when a delegation of the Sikh community recently met Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. The delegation claims that Rahul’s statement has given a negative image to the Sikh community.
According to agency reports, the delegation included officials from Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Takht Patna Sahib Committee, Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee, Takht Shri Hazur Sahib Management Committee, Gurdwara committees from various places including Kolkata, Indore, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Jharkhand. Haryana committee chief Bhupinder Singh Assandh, vice-president Gurvinder Singh from Patna, members Mohinderpal Singh Dhillon, Dr Gurmeet Singh, Harpal Singh Johal, Hazur Sahib Board president Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, Shaljinder Singh from Jharkhand and other Sikh leaders were also present on the occasion.
The delegation was led by Delhi Committee Chief Sardar Harmeet Singh Kalka, General Secretary Sardar Jagdeep Singh Kahlon and former Chief and National Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
demand for withdrawal of statement
On Saturday itself, the BJP has demanded Rahul to withdraw the statement. Sirsa said that Sikh organizations have urged Gandhi to withdraw the statement as it is harming them. He said that anti-national forces like Gurpatwant Singh Pannu have taken advantage of Gandhi’s remarks. Criticizing the Congress, he recalled the incident of targeting Sikhs in the early 80s before the 1984 anti-Sikh riots after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Sirsa alleged that the Congress is trying to create a similar atmosphere now.
