SGPC approves display of ex-PM Manmohan Singh portrait in Amritsar museum

Amritsar: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president H S Dhami on Tuesday said the portrait of former prime minister Manmohan Singh will be displayed in the Central Sikh Museum here.

During a meeting of the SGPC’s Executive Committee (EC) held under his leadership, Dhami informed that it approved the display of portraits of Giani Mohan Singh (ex-head granthi of Sri Harmandar Sahib), former PM Manmohan Singh, Baba Inderjit Singh Raqbewale, Baba Bishan Singh (Tarna Dal, Baba Bakala) and SGPC member Randhir Singh Cheema at the Central Sikh Museum.

The SGPC chief said the apex religious body of the Sikhs will soon take a decision regarding the mercy petition filed by the SGPC in the matter of Balwant Singh Rajoana.

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The SGPC had last month asked the Centre to take an immediate decision in the matter of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in the assassination of the then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995, and other Sikh prisoners.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the SGPC’s EC, a serious discussion was held on a three-page letter written by Rajoana to the SGPC president.

“The SGPC affirmed its commitment to resolving this significant community issue at the earliest,” Dhami said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dhami stated that Rajoana had written a detailed letter to the SGPC in which he highlighted “the discrimination faced by Sikhs at the hands of the governments”.

“The letter also mentions Rajoana’s request for the SGPC to withdraw the mercy petition filed on his behalf,” he added.

Calling it a matter of the community’s concern, Dhami said the SGPC is making efforts to build a consensus by holding consultations with ‘panthic’ representative bodies, Nihang groups and the Sikh community.

Dhami had last month stated that Rajoana has conveyed that the SGPC should withdraw its petition concerning him and ask the Centre to take a swift decision as he no longer sees “any difference between life and death”.

Sharing details of other decisions made during Tuesday’s meeting, Dhami said the SGPC has decided to give Rs 5 lakh aid to the families of the four Sikhs killed recently in an attack at Poonch in Jammu amid India-Pakistan tensions.

He said this is an extremely painful time for the bereaved families and the SGPC will extend all possible help to them.

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