By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: A serious confrontation has erupted between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over the sensitive issue of 328 missing saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, with the Akal Takht Jathedar warning the Punjab government against interference in Sikh religious affairs.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh had cautioned the state government to stay away from matters exclusively falling within the domain of Sikh religious institutions, asserting that any political interference in panthic issues would not be tolerated. His remarks came a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered the registration of an FIR and announced a Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged disappearance of the saroops.
The Chief Minister, however, hit back sharply, questioning the authority of the Akal Takht Jathedar and claiming that he was “not recognised by all Sikh organisations.” Mann accused the SGPC and its political patron, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), of using Sri Akal Takht Sahib as a shield to evade accountability in what he described as a grave sacrilege-related crime. The CM Bhagwant Mann seemed to have sharpened the attack on Sikh body to corner Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) on panthic issues and win over a section of Sikhs in the run for 2027 assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference, Mann said Punjabis and the Sikh sangat had been living in “deep anguish and trauma” for years due to the absence of action in the case involving the missing saroops. “Panthic organisations and the Sant Samaj have long been demanding accountability. As a moral responsibility, the Punjab government has registered an FIR and constituted an SIT to probe the matter, ” he said.
The Chief Minister alleged that immediately after the FIR, the SGPC launched a campaign accusing the government of interfering in religious affairs. He claimed that even SGPC office-bearers had previously admitted to large-scale irregularities within the organisation, including misuse of golak money, and pointed out that an interim SGPC committee in 2020 had passed a resolution seeking strict action against erring employees and publishers in the same case.
The SGPC, however, has accused the AAP leadership, including party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Manish Sisodia, of direct and deliberate interference in Sikh religious matters. SGPC leaders warned that politicising an issue as sensitive as the Guru Granth Sahib could have “serious and far-reaching consequences” for communal harmony in the border state.
Political and panthic observers note that the confrontation has reopened old wounds in Punjab, where religious sentiments have historically intersected with volatile politics. While the AAP government claims it is acting purely in the interest of justice and accountability, critics argue that police intervention in matters traditionally handled by Sikh institutions risks undermining the autonomy of the Panth.
The developments have also triggered speculation over the political fallout. Some analysts believe the AAP may be attempting to position itself as an alternative to the Shiromani Akali Dal, which has long controlled the SGPC but has lost credibility among sections of the Sikh electorate. Others warn that any perceived state interference in Sikh religious affairs could inflame passions and destabilise the fragile peace in Punjab.
As the SIT begins its probe, the standoff between the elected government and the apex Sikh institutions appears set to deepen, with the missing saroops issue fast turning into one of the most sensitive political and religious flashpoints in recent years.