Dirty politics behind Punjab turmoil: Arvind Kejriwal

For the unrest in Punjab over the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has blamed “dirty politics” and sought action against those responsible for the October 14 police firing that killed two Sikh protesters at Behbal Kalan in this district.
As the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that fancies winning the 2017 assembly elections in the state, he went to Faridkot’s Sarawan and Niamiwala villages on Saturday to meet the families of police firing victims Gurjeet Singh (25) and Krishan Bhagwan Singh (45). All four MPs of the AAP are from Punjab, of which two were suspended recently for “anti-party activities”.
‘Pained by desecration’
Taking the Punjab government on, Kejriwal said it should have been prompt in reacting to the desecration incidents but let the public anger rage. Expressing pain over the tearing of copies of the Sikh holy book, he said it had hurt everyone and disturbed him personally.
Demanding strict action against the officials who ordered firing on peaceful protesters in Faridkot, Kejriwal also called for a fair inquiry to justify the Punjab government’s theory of a foreign hand in the first-reported desecration incident at Bargari in Faridkot district, adding that the official investigation, as of now, had many gaps. “If the Punjab government wants, it can catch the actual culprits within 24 hours and punish them, since it has all the agencies it takes,” Kejriwal said.
Reacting to the demand for people’s commission that religious preachers have raised to look into the Bargari incident, Kejriwal said it was the state’s responsibility to inquire. Appealing for peace and harmony in Punjab, he said big injustice had been done to the families of the firing victims and the AAP was with them.
Addressing the media at Sarawan village of police firing victim Gurjeet Singh, Kejriwal said Punjab was burning and the state government need to do something quickly. “Delay in catching the real culprits will intensify public anger,” he said. Party’s Punjab affair’s in-charge Sanjay Singh, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, Faridkot MP Sadhu Singh, senior leader HS Phoolka, and Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur accompanied him.
‘Don’t frame innocents’
The families of the two brothers accused of sacrilege were also present at Sarawan when Kejriwal said that no innocent should be implicated, unless the government wanted to risk more unrest. Gurjeet’s family asked Kejriwal to lead its fight for justice. “Even if the protesting mob swells to lakhs, firing is not justified. After cane charge, tear gas and warnings, if the situation still demands it, firing should be at the feet. To shoot directly into the crowd is condemnable,” said the AAP convener.
Kejriwal claimed Gurjeet’s family must have the copy of the first-information report (FIR) against the police officials who had ordered firing. “The family also has the right to record its statement. The cops who killed two innocent men deserve to be punished,” he added. Sarban Singh, maternal grandfather of Gurjeet Singh, said police had declined the family’s repeated requests for the FIR. “My grandson went out to serve langar (food prepared in common kitchen) at the protest, and within 45 minutes, was brought back dead,” he said. On October 21, the government had ordered an FIR against police for opening fire.
  http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/dirty-politics-behind-punjab-turmoil-arvind-kejriwal/story-H7NXvfipQtfawmL9PjjQmJ.html

Gurbachan Singh: We are higher than Panj Piyares – Sikh house in chaos

They can’t take such decisions, says Makkar; we’re supreme, asserts Akal Takht jathedar

Amritsar, Punjab: Plunging the Sikh ‘panth’ into a deeper crisis over pardon to Sirsa dera head, defiant Panj Pyaras asked the five Sikh jathedars to step down for hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikh community by taking decisions that were in violation of the ‘maryada’ (tenets) and status of the Akal Takht — the supreme temporal authority of Sikhism.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was quick to term their decree as illegal, saying the suspended Panj Pyaras have no “legal right” to issue any such order.
Before seeking the resignation of the jathedars, the Panj Pyaras waited for them from 10.20 am to 11.55 am at the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex here. When nobody turned up, the Panj Pyaras issued a ‘gurmatta’ (religious decree), asking the jathedars to resign.
“A number of decisions taken in the recent past were against the norms that govern the Akal Takht,” said the ‘gurmatta.’
The ‘gurmatta’ also directed the SGPC executive to secure the resignation of the jathedars. If they fail to quit on their own, the executive should terminate their services, it added.
The Panj Pyaras had summoned the jathedars, including Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, for their role in granting pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a blasphemy case.
The Panj Pyaras, dressed in their traditional white flowing robes, waited for jathedars on the first floor of the Akal Takht building. When they failed to appear, the five held consultations among themselves and thereafter drafted the ‘gurmatta’.
“You have violated Sikh tenets by failing to appear in person before us. Neither did you send any message or gave us a written clarification, which clearly shows your intentions of having little or no regard for the religious codes that govern our institutions”, stated the handwritten ‘gurmatta’.

Link :http://sikhsangat.org/2015/gurbachan-singh-we-are-higher-than-panj-piyares-sikh-house-in-chaos/

Protest In London : Against Discecretion of Sri Guru Granth Sahib

 1000s of Sikhs from across the UK are protesting in London against the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the killing of 2 young protestors in Panjab by the police . Further 100s of protesters were wounded.

https://www.facebook.com/Khalsa-Aid-163220440824/

Goindwal Sahib : SikhsIndia

Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege: Woman, gurdwara granthi held for Ghawaddi incident

THE first arrests made in the series of sacrilege cases reported from across the state recently, the Ludhiana police on Monday said that Ghawaddi sacrilege was executed by a woman resident of the same village and that gurdwara granthi Sikander Singh helped her in hiding the incident. 

The police claimed that the woman, Balwinder Kaur, 48, had confessed to her crime, saying she tore 20 pages of the Guru Granth Sahib at Guru Ravidas Gurdwara at Ghawaddi village around 4 am on Saturday. Later, she herself raised the alarm to avoid suspicion. 

While the woman has been booked under sections 295-A and 34 of the IPC for hurting religious sentiments, the granthi has been booked under Section 201 of the IPC for disappearance of evidence. 

During the press briefing, Police Commissioner P S Umranangal and Deputy Police Commissioner Narinder Bhargav did not divulge why she did it. “It is an extremely sensitive issue and certain things are under investigation as of now. There is a third person behind the whole scene but it is a matter of investigation,” said Umranangal. 

Police sources told The Indian Express that Kaur, a baptised (Amritdhari) Sikh and a widow, confessed that she was promised Rs 1 lakh for carrying out the sacrilegious task but was not paid a penny. She was closely associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal and her son Ranjit Singh became nambardaar of the village since SAD came to power in 2012. She first claimed that a local Congress leader told her to do the job. Later, she backtracked. “She is denying as of now if some Sirsa Dera follower was behind it,” said a source. “She has been closely associated with the Akali Dal for years and lived mostly inside gurdwara as a sewadaar. Her younger son was rarely seen in the village since his father died.” 

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK : for detailed news.

Arvind Kejriwal on Beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib Ji In Punjab

Guru Granth Sahib desecration: Congress MLA quits, 3 Akali Dal leaders resign

In signs of an intensifying crisis for the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over the repeated desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib, Ramanjit Singh Sikki, the Congress MLA of Khandoor Sahib, resigned from the Assembly on Sunday, while three high-profile SAD members quit their party. 

An office-bearer of the Sant Samaj, a pro-SAD association of Sikh preachers, also quit his post. 

Calling himself a ‘true Sikh’ in the resignation letter forwarded to the Punjab Speaker, Sikki said he was pained by the desecration incident in Bath village, which falls in his constituency. 

“Being a true Sikh and understanding my moral responsibility, I resign from my assembly seat. Kindly accept my resignation,” Sikki, who is in the Amarinder faction of the Congress, wrote in the brief resignation letter. 

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK : for detailed news.

Plans to build new Sikh temple in Irvine

PLANS have been submitted to build a new Sikh temple in Irvine.

North Ayrshire Council last week received proposals to construct a gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, to the north of George Court. This would be built just yards from the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Bank Street, which is currently Ayrshire’s only Sikh temple.The site identified for the new temple is on vacant land, north to the current block of flats in the area.

Mr B.Singh, the man behind the plans, has also proposed to build 51 new car parking spaces around the new temple as well as outlining a possible future link road from new developments. If approved, the building would be fitted with a meeting hall, offices, a classroom, kitchen and dining hall on the ground and first floors.

The main prayer hall and rooms would be included on the second floor. It remains unclear whether the Sikh temple in Bank Street would close to be replaced by the building. 

with thanks : irvinetimes : LINK : for detailed news.

Sikhs protests continue; three held for desecration of holy book

Chandigarh: Two 'granthis' and a woman were arrested in connection with cases of desecration of the holy book of the Sikhs in Punjab where activists of various outfits blocked roads and highways at several places to protest the sacrilege.

While a 'granthi' in a gurudwara in Nijjapura village of Amritsar district was arrested for allegedly committing an act of sacrilege, police took into custody a woman working as a sweeper and a granthi in connection with the Ghawaddi village desecration case in Ludhiana district.

Amritsar Senior Superintendent of Police (rural) Jasdeep Singh Saini said police received a call from the priest of a gurudwara at Nijjarpura late last night that three persons forcibly entered the shrine and tore the pages of the holy book.

"The statement of priest appeared false following which he was interrogated by police before other people working in the shrine," he said.

The 30-year-old 'granthi' Jagdeep Singh confessed that he had committed the crime and had tried to mislead the police, Saini said.

"The perpetrator of crime, who himself is the granthi of gurdwara, has been arrested," the SSP said.

In another case, police arrested a woman, identified as Balwinder Kaur (45), and 'granthi' Sikandar Singh (46) in connection with the Ghawaddi desecration case, Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Paramraj Singh Umrangal said.

Sikh outfits, meanwhile, continued to stage dharnas at several places in Punjab against incidents of sacrilege and to press for arrest of police officials involved in firing at Behbal Kalan village in which two persons were killed.

Several highways in the state remained blocked for hours together as traffic was diverted, police said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur visited the dharna site near Gurdaspur.

In Jalandhar, dharnas were staged at Chiheru bridge on GT road, chowk Maqsoodan and several other places, police said, adding a minor clash between Sikh activists and shopkeepers also took place at Jalandhar.

Peace marches were also taken out at various places, including Faridkot, Moga, Mansa, Tarn Taran, Sangrur and Bathinda in the state by the Sikh activists.

Trucks coming from Srinagar carrying apple to Maharashtra have been stranded near Harike bridge, police said.

In Ludhiana, protesters have started dharna at Baba Than Singh chowk, police said.

PTI 

with thanks : Zee News : LINK 

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Parliament of the World's Religions 2015 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City,USA

Link :http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639220/Parliament-of-the-Worlds-Religion