Akal Takht slams Haryana Govt ad over Banda Bahadar

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akal Takht on Wednesday objected to a Haryana Government advertisement referring to Sikh warrior Banda Singh Bahadar as “Veer Banda Bairagi”.

The advertisement was given in newspapers to commemorate the 309th martyrdom day of the Sikh warrior.

Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj warned the Sikh community against “anti-Sikh conspiracies" and asked it to remain alert.

He said attempts were being made to tinker with the Sikh history.

The SGPC directed the Sikhs of Haryana to ask the government to stop its “false propaganda".

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said this act of the Haryana Government was a violation of the Sikh principles. He said the reference had deeply hurt Sikh sentiments.

Dhami said Baba Banda Singh Bahadar renounced the Bairagi attire and became a devout Sikh initiated by Guru Gobind Singh.

Referring to him as “Veer Banda Bairagi" distorted the historical truth, he said. “This appears to be a deliberate attempt to undermine Sikh identity and distort Sikh history," he alleged. The SGPC held a Gurmat programme to mark the martyrdom day at Gurdwara Manji Sahib Diwan Hall at the Golden Temple complex on Wednesday.

Punjab