U-turn by Jagdish Singh Jhinda, offers to work with govt-appointed gurdwara committee

Kurukshetra, February 6

Days after opening a front against the government-appointed ad hoc panel of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), former president of the committee Jagdish Singh Jhinda today said he was ready to work with it to ensure the smooth management of the shrines in the state.

Demands early election to HSGMC

I had a discussion with Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (ad hoc) chief Mahant Karamjit Singh and we both believe that we should work together. We will cooperate with the government and we demand an early election of the committee. Jagdish Singh Jhinda, former president of hsgmc

After holding a meeting with his supporters, Jhinda said: "The Supreme Court has rejected the review petition filed by the SGPC against the constitutional validity of the HSGMC Act and we will appeal to the SGPC to hand over the control of the shrines in the state to the Sikhs of Haryana. But at the same time, we also don't want any dispute between the Haryana Sikhs, as the government had appointed an ad hoc panel, which was rejected by the Sikh sangat and we had formed a 41-member panel after consulting the sangat."

"We have struggled for years to get a separate committee and we should work on one platform. Instead of showing ourselves as different groups trying to take the control of the shrines and giving any opportunity to the SGPC to point any finger towards us, we should set an example by showing unity. At a function, I had a discussion with HSGMC (ad hoc) chief Mahant Karamjit Singh and we both believe that we should work together. We will cooperate with the government and we demand an early election of the committee," he added.

Jhinda said: "We will start a struggle and launch a jail bharo andolan from Kurukshetra for the release of the Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences but are still in jails."

Meanwhile, HSGMC (Ad hoc) chief Mahant Karamjit Singh said: "Following the directions of the Supreme Court, the government-appointed the ad hoc panel. I have always asked all Sikh leaders to get united for the management of the shrines. I will seek support from Jagdish Singh Jhinda, Didar Singh Nalvi and Baljit Singh Daduwal."

"We will also ask the SGPC to hand over the management of the shrines gracefully. We are not going to take the control of the shrines forcefully because the people, who have been managing the affairs at present, are also our brothers. We don't want any dispute and we will maintain peaceful atmosphere. Soon, a meeting will be called to discuss the future course of action," he added.

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