NEW DELHI—The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted four weeks time to the state government to reply to an amended petition objecting to the construction of a memorial at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib complex for 1984 anti-Sikh Pogroms victims.
The Court has asked the government to file its counter reply after it allowed the petitioner, former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit Sarna, to file an amended petition.
Sarna has sought suspension of the construction on the ground of lack of proper sanctions from competent authorities.
In his earlier petition, besides other reasons, Sarna had also objected to the construction work on the grounds that Sikhs had “forgotten the riots by now” and hence, did not care for a memorial that would encroach upon their place of worship.
On Wednesday, however, following the court’s assent, he deleted the above from his petition.
The court also granted time to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, DSGMC and its current president S. Manjit Singh GK to file their responses to the amended petition.
The DSGMC has decided to construct a memorial to honour those who were killed in anti-Sikh pogroms during the Sikh Genocide.
On June 12, a vacation bench of the High Court had declined to grant a stay on the construction of a Sikh Genocide memorial at the Gurdwara complex after NDMC had told the court that it would issue an order for stoppage of illegal construction within the next three days and also initiate statutory action against any construction work within the Gurdwara premises.
The court had, however, issued a notice to the Delhi government, the NDMC, and the DSGMC and its current president and sought their replies by July 17. The above parties have now been asked to file their replies by November 26.
In his petition, Sarna has argued that the construction of the proposed memorial be stayed since it would lead to the creation of a an alternate place of worship within the Gurdwara premises.
“The construction of any structure within the place of worship is against the Sikh religion and tradition and would be a sacrilege,” the petition reads.
The DSGMC, however, argued that it was yet to begin any construction work and a mere proposal of the memorial was not in violation of any statutory or building bylaws.
