The Sikh arm of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - Rashtriya Sikh Sangat and hardliner Sikh groups like Dal Khalsa are at loggerheads on the issue of multi-faith conclave being organised by RSS at Talkatora stadium on Wednesday in New Delhi to mark the 350th anniversary of tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.
Hardliner Sikh group Dal Khalsa has dubbed the event as anti-Sikh and as an interference into the Sikh affairs.
Khalsa is Raksha Kavach of Indian Culture : Honourable Home Minister Sh @rajnathsingh pic.twitter.com/rEHeOATeG9
— राष्ट्रीय सिख संगत (@RshtrSikhSangat) October 25, 2017
Describing the formation of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (RSS) as 'grand nefarious design' of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Dal Khalsa, a hardliner Sikh group has accused RSS of making an attempt to penetrate into Sikh rank in Punjab.
"RSS has no locus standi to interfere in the affairs of the Sikhs. As per Sikh concept, there's only one (Sikh) Sangat that is fully dedicated to ten Gurus and their philosophy and it has nothing to do with any 'rashtra' or any boundary," lashed out Dal Khalsa head, Harpal Singh Cheema, describing the formation of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (RSS) as grand nefarious design of RSS to penetrate into Sikh rank and file.
The Akal Takhat edict of 2004 against the RSS is in its place, those Sikhs who would participate in the conclave would be traitors of the Panth, he said highlighting that the management of the Takhat Patna Sahib should stop Gaini Iqbal Singh, head-priest Patna Sahib from siding with 'Panth dokhis'.
Rashtriya Sikh Sangat celebrating 350th Birth Anniversary Year of Sh Guru Gobind Singh ji at Delhi pic.twitter.com/MEcE6Oe4Z9
— राष्ट्रीय सिख संगत (@RshtrSikhSangat) October 25, 2017
Urging the Sikhs to wake up, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh lashed out at RSS for systematically working to sabotage Sikh doctrine. "RSS is anti-Sikh religion organization that has been hitting at the roots and foundations of Sikhism.
Ironically, it has spread its tentacles in Punjab since tercentenary celebrations of Khalsa Panth in 1999 when A B Vajpayee was Prime Minister and P S Badal was CM of Punjab," said Singh.
Manniya Mohan Bhagwat ji addressing Rashtriya Sikh Sangat event on "350 Birth Anniversary Year of Guru Gobind Singh Ji" pic.twitter.com/RagCLCPZSM
— राष्ट्रीय सिख संगत (@RshtrSikhSangat) October 25, 2017
The event comes days after a RSS leader, Ravinder Gosain, 60 was shot dead outside his house in Ludhiana. In wake of the targeted killing of RSS leaders in the state, Punjab government led by Captain Amarinder Singh announced to transfer the case to National Investigation Agency (NIA) citing international ramifications of the case.
It is only due to these differences between the two organisations that the then Rashtriya Sikh Sangat chief Rulda Singh was allegedly shot dead by the Babbar Khalsa International terrorists in Patiala in 2009.
AKAL TAKHT ASKS SIKH COMMUNITY TO KEEP DISTANCE FROM RSS EVENT
The Akal Takht -- the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs -- has asked the community not to extend support to an RSS event to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in New Delhi on October 25.
Giani Gurbachan Singh boycott Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th birth anniversary being organised by Rashtriya Sikh Sangat - a branch of @RSSorg pic.twitter.com/LHr9scJTjC
— News18Punjab (@News18Punjab) October 24, 2017
The event being organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Delhi could never be supported, Akal Takht head Gurbachan Singh said in a statement issued here today.
He cited an edict issued in 2004 by the then Akal Takht head and said the Sikhs would never extend support to an outfit which tries to interfere in the internal affairs of the community.
The RSS is organizing the event "with a motive to create mess and nothing else", he said.
He said the Sikh community has a separate identity and it has "never interfered in any religion and would never allow any religion or outfit to meddle in its religious matters".
The Akal Takht has never announced to extend support to RSS events and would never do so in the future, Singh said.
