Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday accused the Punjab government of playing politics over the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in November and trying to weaken the Sikhs' highest temporal Akal Takht.
Bathinda MP Kaur also alleged that the state government has failed to execute any development project at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala where the main event for the Sikhism founder's birth anniversary celebration will be held.
Kaur's reaction came a day after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday rejected the apex gurdwara body SGPC's charges of the state government being cold to participation in the Sikhism founder's birth anniversary celebrations.
The chief minister had asserted a Group of Ministers has already been constituted to coordinate with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to finalise the historic commemorative programme.
Rejecting the allegation that his government was showing no interest in holding a joint function as directed by the Akal Takht, Singh had asserted it was the SGPC which has been refusing to join the government in celebrating the historic occasion on a common platform.
Even on Monday, the chief minister rejected the allegations, reiterating that there was no question of the state government backing out of its support to the SGPC in holding the 550th 'Prakash Purb' celebration on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary.
Amarinder Singh made the fresh assertion while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Mohali.
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"The government would extend full support to the religious body for any event it plans to hold within the Gurdwara Sahib precincts, while the state would hold the main event outside the premises, as in the past," he added.
As a religious body, the SGPC was entitled to hold any event within the gurdwaras it controls, said Amarinder Singh.
He, however, once again appealed to the SGPC to cooperate with his government in holding a joint state-level programme, befitting the historic occasion.
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal in Chandigarh earlier said all religious functions have always been organised under the aegis of SGPC irrespective of the government in power at the Centre and state and pointed out that the SGPC is an elected body of Sikhs.
She said Akal Takht jathedar had appealed to everyone including the state government to celebrate the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev together.
She added that in 2017 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government too had held the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh under the SGPC aegis and had not made it a government function.
All religious functions have always been organised by the SGPC and every party has risen to the occasion as the Sikh faith does not belong to any party," she said.
But it is painful to see that the state government wanted to weaken the Akal Takht Sahib by playing politics over this issue. You all have seen that on directions of the Akal Takht jathedar, the jathedars of all other Takhts told the chief minister that we should celebrate the function together," she said.
The jathedars of other Takhts had also asked the government to nominate two of its members for the purpose, she added.
"Despite writing letters, neither the state government is appointing its members nor they are interested in holding the event jointly. They are trying to hold different functions and want to create confusion among the Sikh community, she alleged.
The Union minister said she hopes the chief minister stops playing politics over the issue and focus on completing the developmental project at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala for the function.
No work has been done in Sultanpur Lodhi. I want to ask them except putting up hoardings, what work the state government has done in Sultanpur Lodhi, she said.
I have learnt they are going to hold a Cabinet meeting at Sultanpur Lodhi tomorrow. You know in the next few days the code of conduct is likely to be imposed due to the upcoming elections in four states and then they will make it an excuse (for not carrying out the development), she added.
We have started our work of painting the city white as this government is not interested at all (in executing the development projects at Sultanpur Lodhi), she said.
Kaur added that the Centre has sanctioned several projects for celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
While the SGPC has decided to hold the main event at a college in Sultanpur Lodhi in November, the government wanted to hold the function near a Tent City coming up there.
On September 7, the SGPC had accused the state government of not sending the government representatives to the coordination committee formed to jointly hold the functions related to Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary.
It is said Guru Nanak Dev attained enlightenment at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district during his stay there for over 14 years.
Meanwhile, on the government's planned decision to hold its September 10 Cabinet meeting in Sultanpur Lodhi instead of Chandigarh, the chief minister said he and his entire Cabinet would visit the area to oversee the arrangements for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, and would also hold the meeting there.
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