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Amritsar: After successfully pressuring the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to withhold officiating Akal Takhr jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj from delivering a message during the Operation Bluestar anniversary ceremony over objections to his controversial appointment, Damdami Taksal (Chowk Mehta) has announced plans to push for a formal 'panth parvanat' procedure for selecting jathedars.Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, chief of Damdami Taksal, said the appointment of jathedars should involve consultation with all Sikh sects, Nihang organisations, Singh Sabhas, federations, and other Sikh bodies to prevent disputes. He added that he intends to engage with all Panthic organisations soon to discuss a unified selection process."It is only when decisions are made without Panthic consensus that controversies arise," Baba Harnam Singh said, emphasising that collective approval from the Sikh Panth would eliminate future conflicts.He further stressed that retirement or removal of jathedars should also be conducted with due respect and dignity, calling for lasting solutions to the recurring issues surrounding these appointments. Baba Harnam Singh urged the SGPC to ensure broad-based agreement among Sikh organisations for all future appointments.Addressing the demand that the officiating jathedar should not deliver the customary address or honour the martyrs, he declined to claim this as a victory, saying such an attitude would reflect ego, which is unacceptable in the house of the Guru.Noting the significance of this year's ceremony, he said, "Since June 1984, this is the first time the Panth conducted the martyrdom ceremony with great peace, goodwill, and unity -- without the brandishing of swords." He also praised SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami for his wisdom, patience, and foresight in preventing conflict during the event."There should be no internal clashes within the Panth while commemorating the martyrs. Today, a message was sent across the world that the entire Sikh Panth peacefully and respectfully remembered the martyrs of June 1984 at Akal Takht," Baba Harnam Singh concluded.MSID:: 121674565 413 |
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest representative body of Siks, on Saturday said the Takht Sri Patna Sahib clergy had gone beyond its religious jurisdiction by declaring Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal a tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct). In a statement, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the decision by Takht Sri Patna Sahib's panj pyare (the five beloved ones) had created confusion within the panth (Sikh community). Dhami said traditions and customs were meant to resolve issues of the community, and not to deepn a ...Read More >
AMRITSAR: In less than twenty-four hours, the Golden Temple once again received a threatening message warning of a possible bomb attack. The fresh threat, similar in content to a previous one referencing RDX and a specific time, sparked renewed concern among authorities and devotees alike.Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Secretary Partap Singh informed on Tuesday that the internet department of SGPC received the mail on the morning, following which the same was informed to the police. Stating that the content of the fresh threat email is almost the same as the one received on Mon ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Sep 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Monday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review the advisory to various state governments not to process applications for the pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan on the pious occasion of Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev in November. In a statement here, the SAD President said Sikh pilgrims had undertaken visits to holy shrines in Pakistan under the framework of the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950, which explicitly provides for visits by community members to Pakistan's holy shrines on at least four s ...Read More >
Chandigarh/Amritsar: The central govt's decision to prohibit a Sikh jatha (group) from travelling to Pakistan for Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary in Nov on Monday drew criticism from across the political and religious spectrum in Punjab, with many questioning why the same govt allowed a cricket match with the neighbouring country, but was not allowing a pilgrimage.The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) expressed "regret" over the govt's decision. "Pilgrims were scheduled to visit sacred sites, including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. This move is a deeply disappointing action which has ...Read More >
Gurdaspur (Punjab) [India], December 4 (ANI): Jasmeet Kaur, wife of Narain Singh Chaura, who attempted to assassinate Sukhbir Singh Badal, condemned her husband's actions on Wednesday. She stated that her husband had informed her he was attending a "death anniversary programme" in Amritsar. "I didn't know what had happened until reporters came knocking at my door. Earlier, he had been lodged in jails in Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Gurdaspur," Kaur told reporters. "I don't think what he did was right," Kaur added. Narain Singh Chaura opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh ...Read More >
BATHINDA: The antim ardas of senior Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa turned out to be a platform for advocating a strong regional party, also known as Akali unity. Various leaders stressed the need for unity, but interestingly, Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar was the most vocal about the need for a strong regional party, although he stopped short of naming the Akali Dal.Sunil Jakhar devoted a significant part of his brief address to unity while speaking to the large gathering at Gurdwara Nankiana Sahib, Sangrur. He said, "Mafi chahunga, meri jaga taan ni banndi magar masla asal virasat da ...Read More >
Ludhiana, Jun 8 (PTI) Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday asserted that his party will win the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll, scheduled to be held on june 19, with a "record margin". "Congress practically has no competition here", he claimed. Warring, who is also the Ludhiana MP, said that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was badly mistaken that the Congress would allow it to abuse power and misuse the official machinery for the elections. "First of all, we will not let any misuse of the official machinery and second, in case any official is found to be misusing ...Read More >
Amritsar: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand has claimed that Britain assisted India in executing the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, stoking a new controversy.In a post on X on Monday, Dubey alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi "launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain", with British Army officers present in Amritsar.He uploaded a classified British document, "Sikh Community", claiming that on Feb 23, 1984, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office mentioned in a letter that the Indian govt had sought British advice over a plan to remove Si ...Read More >
Chandigarh, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) On a motion moved by Punjab Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravjot Singh, the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday expressed sorrow over the demise of eminent Punjabi Sikh runner Fauja Singh and paid tribute to him. Expressing grief over the demise of 114-year-old Fauja Singh in a road accident, Ravjot Singh said he was the world's oldest runner who had brought glory to the Sikh community worldwide through marathon races. The minister said that Fauja Singh would always remain in the memories. He prayed to God to give the family the strength to bear the loss. The body ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of compromising with former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, over the 2015 Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing incidents, which took place during protests against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. Bajwa made these allegations during the discussion on the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025. He no ...Read More >
Chandigarh [India], December 3 (ANI): Punjab Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday, slammed the BJP-led central government for neglecting the interests of farmers in Punjab and Haryana. Bajwa's scathing attack comes amidst growing discontent among farmers in the region, who feel their concerns have been ignored by the ruling party. "Ever since the BJP government has come to power, they have not taken a single decision that is in the interest of the farmers of India, especially the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. It is their fundamental rig ...Read More >
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], June 6 (ANI): Pro-Khalistan slogans were raised by several people at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on the 41st anniversary of Operation Blue Star on Thursday. People raised slogans of 'Khalistan zindabad' as SAD (Mann faction) leader Simranjit Singh Mann reached the Golden Temple on the 41st anniversary of Operation Blue Star and also the death anniversary of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed during the operation. Also Read | Goa: Man Held for Trying to Trade Sensitive Data Online Using Cryptocurrency Transactions. Operation Blue Star was a 10-day militar ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Ludhiana, Jun 5 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday asserted that there should be no "politicisation" of the armed forces, even as he accused the BJP of milking Operation Sindoor for political gains. "Such politics should not be done. I salute the armed forces. But there should be no politicisation of the army," he said. "Have you ever seen any former prime minister donning a military uniform....? But now the uniform is being used for political gains. It should not happen," he said. Armed forces fight for the country, and they have no connection with politics, he asserted. T ...Read More >
Raipur, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) A villager was brutally murdered in Puvarti village, located within the Jagargunda police station area of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh. Puvarti village holds significant strategic importance as it is the native place of Maoist commander Hidma and Battalion 1 chief Deva Barse. The village has produced 22 hardcore Maoists. The attack was allegedly carried out by a group of ten to fifteen Maoists, who ambushed the victim and killed him using sharp weapons, police sources said. The Maoists accused the villager of being a police informant, a charge that has often ...Read More >
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been declared "tankhaiya" (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Takht Patna Sahib (one of the five supreme temporal seats of sikhs) due to his failure to appear before it and thereby undermining its authority. Sources said the decision is an outcome of Sukhbir's failure to appear before the Takht despite being summoned twice. It is understood that this development would further escalate clashes between Sikh religious authorities and political figures. Badal was called to present himself before the panj pyaras (five be ...Read More >
Amritsar: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President and senior advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami on Wednesday demanded the death penalty of the culprits of sacrilege. Dhami said, "The culprits of sacrilege should get the death penalty. After 2015, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government brought a strict law against sacrilege by amending Section 295-A, but till date, neither the incidents of sacrilege that took place in Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib Sri Darbar Sahib and elsewhere have been properly investigated nor have any of the culprits been punished." Dhami, while explaining ...Read More >
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], July 15 (ANI): The Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar received another bomb threat on Tuesday. The dog squad has been deployed at the Golden Temple premises as part of a security check. The holy site for Sikhs received a bomb threat via e-mail for the second consecutive day. Also Read | India Raises Pahalgam Terror Attack at SCO Meeting: EAM S Jaishankar Calls for 'Uncompromising Position' on Combatting Terrorism. Pratap Singh, Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), demanded strict action against the miscreants. Pratap Singh told reporte ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jan 21 (VOICE) Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut and Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh's fates are intertwined through their films "Emergency" and 'Panjab 95" due to the chatter around both the movies. On Tuesday morning, Diljit took to Instagram, where he posted a note apologising that his film "Panjab 95", has once again faced a hiccup in its release in India. "We are very sorry and it pains us to inform you that the movie Panjab 95 will not release on 7th Feb due to circumstances beyond our control," he wrote. The movie, which is based on the life of prominent Sikh human rights act ...Read More >
The Chief Minister highlighted that marginalised communities, particularly Scheduled Castes, are being "lured, or coerced" into changing religion Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday termed illegal religious conversions a "calculated conspiracy to undermine the nation's identity and social fabric," asserting that the Uttar Pradesh government is taking firm action to curb the menace. Adityanath made the remarks while flagging off the UP-Delhi Shri Tegh Bahadur Sandesh Yatra from his Luckno ...Read More >
He also announced that he will contribute ₹20 lakh from his discretionary funds as minister and one month's salary to improve the condition of the paths leading to historic places associated with the ninth Guru. Speaking to the media outside after submitting a letter at Akal Takht secretariat, the minister said, "The service assigned to me by Akal Takht Sahib has now been completed. I have performed ardaas before Guru Sahib to seek forgiveness for my mistakes and have humbly requested that Gur ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jun 8 (PTI) Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said all Akali factions should set aside their "egos" and differences and unite, asserting that a strong 'panthic' party is required not only for the state but also for the nation. He asserted that that would be a "true tribute" to veteran Akali leader and former union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Also Read | Bodoland Lottery Result Today, June 8, 2025: Assam State Lottery Sambad Sunday Lucky Draw Results Declared, Check Winners List With Ticket Numbers. Dhindsa died on May 28 following age-related health issues at a pri ...Read More >
Hyderabad: In a social media post on Monday, BJP parliamentarian Nishikant Dubey claimed that former prime minister Indira Gandhi mounted an attack, Operation Blue Star, on Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar in 1984 in collusion with Britain, when officials of the British Army were present in the city. "In 1984, Indira Gandhi launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain, with British army officers present in Amritsar at that time," Dubey wrote on X. Taking a dig at Congress, he claimed the Grand Old Party treated the Sikh community merely as a toy. "(The then home minis ...Read More >
Chandigarh, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday asserted both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab are politicising the sensitive issue of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib for their political ambitions even as it asked Leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa to tell why the previous Congress government did nothing to either probe or punish the perpetrators responsible for this heinous crime. Reacting to Bajwa's statement in the Vidhan Sabha in which the former claimed that the AAP government had failed to charge sheet both former Chief Minister Parkash Si ...Read More >
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], July 15 (ANI): The Golden Temple in Punjab Amritsar received another bomb threat on Tuesday. The dog squad has been deployed at the Golden Temple premises as part of a security check. The holy site for Sikhs received a bomb threat via e-mail for the second consecutive day. Pratap Singh, Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), demanded strict action against the miscreants. Pratap Singh told reporters, Golden Temple is the centre of faith of the world, and we received an email threatening a blast in the Golden Temple. It is the responsibilit ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jul 17 (PTI) The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee receiving e-mails threatening to blow up the Golden Temple spurred Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to urge people on Thursday to be wary of rumours and assert that his government would not allow any compromise with security. He held a meeting here with senior police officials, including Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, in the wake of the threatening emails received by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Also Read | 'Arvind Kejriwal Used Government Funds to Buy Mobiles Costing Up to INR 1.63 Lakh' ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 17 (PTI) To curb illegal mining and transportation, the Uttar Pradesh government is deploying advanced technologies under the Integrated Mining Surveillance System (IMSS), a release said on Thursday. Mining activities are already being monitored through drones, geo-fencing, RFID tags, and AI-powered check gates. Now, the state is set to introduce 'Weigh-In-Motion' (WIM) technology to accurately track vehicle overloading. Also Read | 'Arvind Kejriwal Used Government Funds to Buy Mobiles Costing Up to INR 1.63 Lakh', Claims Delhi Minister Ashish Sood. According to the official re ...Read More >
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) reported receiving threat emails targeting the Golden Temple for the past four to five days, with the motive remaining unclear. Police have detained a suspect, Shubham Dubey, and are investigating the possibility of a group involvement. Authorities have registered an FIR, launched security drills, and are tracing IP addresses, suspecting a South India connection. ShiromGurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Chief Secretary Kulwant Singh Manan, on ...Read More >
Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath govt has announced that it will sponsor pilgrimages for Buddhist and Sikh devotees. In a meeting chaired by CM Yogi on Saturday, it was decided to launch two new pilgrimage schemes -- the Baudh Teerth Darshan Yojana and the Panch Takht Yatra Yojana -- under which a minimum of Rs 10,000 will be provided as assistance to each pilgrim. The Baudh Teerth Darshan Yojana will help Buddhist and Hindu residents of Uttar Pradesh undertake pilgrimages to major sites across the c ...Read More >