Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s reference about Guru Granth Sahib in context with jailed Waris Punjab De chief and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh came up in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Monday, when Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa proposed a censure motion against the senior BJP leader for “hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs.”
Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said that an opinion can be taken from Sikh intellectuals and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) on the issue.
Without naming Shah, Bajwa, during the debate on Governor’s address, said that a home minister, during his speech in Lok Sabha two days ago had stated that Amritpal was reciting Guru Granth Sahib in Assam jail. Bajwa said, “He (union home minister) was referring to someone (Amritpal Singh) that he wanted to become someone else (slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale). And he also said that they did not have their party government in Punjab, yet they put him in Dibrugarh jail. And now he is reciting Guru Granth Sahib path in the jail. He does not know that Gutka Sahib can be recited from a cell of a jail and not the Guru Granth Sahib. This is objectionable. I want that we bring a censure motion here. The House should condemn it. If someone does not know the religious beliefs of a community, he should not mention anything about it”.
Later, Bajwa told The Indian Express outside the House that Guru Granth Sahib is a living Guru of the Sikhs.
As Bajwa raised the issue in the House, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Ashwani Kumar cautioned the Congress leader against flaring up religious tempers. “Those who bulldozed the Akal Takht are talking about this. Sometimes, the sentiment should be given weightage instead of the words,” the BJP MLA said, and asked Bajwa whether he wanted that kind of atmosphere in Punjab again. “We will have to talk about some things by rising above politics. We should not do only politics,” he said.
Speaker Sandhwan then asked the BJP member to go and tell his party colleagues that Guru Granth Sahib was above politics and should be considered above all politics.
After Bajwa’s address, the Speaker said, Guru Granth Sahib belongs to everyone. Political people should take the name of Guru Granth Sahib very thoughtfully. Those who are not aware of its dignity should be made aware.” On Bajwa’s proposal, he said that opinion can be taken from Sikh scholars and SGPC in this regard.
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Bajwa also raised questions on Governor Gulab Chand Kataria for having read his address in Hindi on Friday. On this, the Speaker clarified that as per the rules, “The Governor can read his address in any language, be it Punjabi, English or Hindi.”
Later, Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak also supported that the address can be delivered in any language. He said that language is a means of sharing language.
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