NEW DELHI—Akal Takht, the top temporal seat of Sikhs, on Friday asked former chief of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Parmjit Sarna, to withdraw a court case challenging a proposed memorial in Delhi’s Rakab Ganj gurdwara for those killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide.
The supreme Takht had summoned Sarna for creating hurdles in the construction of the memorial. Disapproving of the plea by Sarna and his cousin, appointed Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh asked them to do regular service (sewa) in the community kitchen of Rakab Ganj gurdwara.
He also asked them to recite and listen to Sikh religious scriptures for three days, besides arranging Akhand Path seeking welfare of the Delhi Genocide affected families.
Sarna told reporters that in his explanation to the Takht, he said he never opposed construction of the memorial, but had objections over it coming up near the shrine already dedicated to Guru Teg Bahdur Sahib.
“I was never against the memorial, but it should never be built near the shrine already dedicated to Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib. I had suggested other venue for the memorial,” he said.
“Decision taken by the five Sikh head priests is binding upon me. As a humble Sikh, I respect the pious Akal Takht and will follow every direction given to me,” Sarna said.
Sarna had recently appealed to the Delhi High Court challenging DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK’s announcement to build the memorial.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), which had swept the DSGMC elections recently, had announced that they will build a memorial for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms of Delhi.
This is the second time a memorial related to the Sikh community has been embroiled in controversy.
The recently-inaugurated memorial of the Sikh Genocide (Operation Blue Star) in the Darbar Sahib complex in Amritsar had also drawn protests.
