Akhada Parishad condemns Pannu's Maha Kumbh threat as divisive tactic

The Akhada Parishad hit out at Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu for trying to instigate division between communities after he allegedly issued a threat to target the Maha Kumbh in a video.

Following the death of three Khalistani Zindabad Force militants in an encounter with the UP and Punjab police in Pilibhit on Monday, a video threatening to disrupt the key bathing dates of the Magh Mela on -- January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami) -- surfaced on social media, with the voice in the video being attributed to Khalistan supporter Pannu.

 

Pannu is the chief of banned outfit Sikhs For Justice and has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government.

Addressing the media in Mahakumbh Nagar, Mahant Ravindra Puri, the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, said, "If this person named Pannu dares to enter our Maha Kumbh, he will be beaten and driven out. We have seen hundreds of such lunatics."  "This is the Magh Mela, where Sikhs and Hindus are united. Pannu's attempts to instigate division are uncalled for. It is the Sikh community that has kept our Sanatan tradition alive. They have safeguarded Sanatan Dharma," he said.

Pointing to the shared spiritual ties between Hindu and Sikh communities, the Akhada Parishad president said, "We have Naga sadhus in both our religions, and we are all soldiers of Sanatan Dharma. That's why we do not take such delusional threats seriously."  He also highlighted that Pannu's inflammatory language has always been aimed at sowing division and targeting Sanatan Dharma. "We should not give too much importance to Pannu's statements, as his goal has always been to create unrest and attack the very fabric of our traditions," he said.

Mahant Ravindra Puri also pointed out that three of the prominent 'akhadas' -- Bada Udasin Akhada, Naya Udasin Akhada, and Nirmal Akhada -- are based in Punjab and are home to revered saints. "Thus, we do not take such extremists seriously," he added.