The Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today questioned the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s double standards in opposing the formation of a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee for Haryana, particularly when it was people like him who were responsible for the creation of Haryana out of Punjab.Capt Amarinder pointed out, it was people like Mr Badal who had spearheaded the campaign for a separate Punjabi Suba (state) that led to creation of Haryana as also Himachal Pradesh. “If the Sikhs in Haryana are now seeking autonomy for running their Gurdwaras, instead of being remotely controlled by Badal and his stooges, what is wrong in it?” he asked, while strongly supporting the creation of a separate body for Haryana.
The Amritsar MP disclosed that there was a strong section within the Akali controlled SGPC which favoured autonomy to Haryana Sikhs in running their Gurdwaras. “Sooner or later (formation of a separate body for Haryana) this is going to happen and it would be better if it is done now”, he suggested while advising Badal not to play petty politics on a sensitive issue for personal gains.The former Chief Minister asked Badal as why was he so much scared of a separate body for Haryana when all the members from there in the current SGPC belonged to his party. “This should reassure you that your party can get the majority in Haryana body also”, he told Badal, while adding, “or is it that you want personal and not even your loyalists’ control, over the cash rich SGPC coffers.”Capt Amarinder asked as what was wrong in forming a separate SGPC for Haryana when there were similar committees already existing at places like Delhi, Patna and Maharashtra. “This only betrays Mr Badal’s characteristic insecurity that he does not want to concede or share power with anyone else other than his close family”, he observed.