Chandigarh: Yielding to long-pending “demand of Sikhs”, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday announced a separate SGPC for his state, drawing flak from Amritsar-based SGPC and Akali Dal, which dubbed it as Congress “nefarious design to weaken” the community, reports PTI.
At a function organised by Sikh leaders from Haryana at Kaithal, Hooda said a separate SGPC will be set up keeping in view the sentiments and aspirations of the Sikhs in his state and a law will be enacted to form the separate panel.
Hooda said that a bill to form a separate SGPC will be introduced in the monsoon session of Haryana Assembly commencing here from July 11 and the separate body would be set up as a legal entity. While the Haryana Sikh leaders spearheading the campaign for separate body welcomed Hooda’s announcement as “historic”, it evoked strong condemnation from Amritsar-based SGPC, with its chief Avtar Singh Makkar alleging that the move was Congress’ “nefarious design” to “weaken” the community.
