CHANDIGARH – Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Saturday brought up the issue of Khalistan, saying every Sikh wanted it and if the government offers them a separate state, they will accept it happily.
He was interacting with the media following the culmination of the annual function at Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, to mark the 36th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, carried out by the Indian Army to flush out heavily-armed militants from inside the Darbar Sahib complex between June 1 and 8, 1984.
Asked about sloganeering at Akal Takht in favour of Khalistan by Sikh hardliners, Giani Harpreet Singh said, “There is nothing wrong if slogans are raised after the function. If the government offers us Khalistan, what else do we need? We will accept it, because every Sikh wants it.”
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal, who was present during the media interaction, endorsed the jathedar’s stance, saying “if the government offers it, it will be acceptable to us”.
Earlier, a bhog ceremony, ardas and kirtan were performed at the Takht in memory of those killed in Operation Bluestar.
The function was held amid tight security and the media was barred from covering the event inside the Golden Temple complex.
Supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) had a minor scuffle with the police at the entrance of Golden Temple when they were prevented from entering the shrine to attend the function. They were allowed in after they held a demonstration.
During the function, which was held amid heavy rain, the jathedar delivered his sandesh (address) and pointed out to police restrictions for devotees at the Golden Temple. “Sikhs lack unity. This is the why there are these restrictions,” he said.
A majority of people in the gathering were SGPC employees and police in plainclothes.
Despite making efforts, the police and SGPC staff could not ensure social distancing inside the complex to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
