Punjab CM Accuses SGPC of Shielding 'Masters' Over Missing Sacred Texts

Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of shielding influential individuals over the disappearance of 328 sacred copies of the Guru Granth Sahib. Mann has called on SGPC to cooperate with investigations while SGPC accuses Mann of political interference.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has lashed out at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), accusing it of failing to locate the 328 missing copies of the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib. He charges SGPC with using the Akal Takht as a protective shield to save influential individuals linked to its 'masters'.

Mann's criticisms follow orders from the five Singh Sahiban, the heads of the Sikh temporal seats, demanding the AAP government cease meddling in Sikh matters. This comes after an FIR was filed against 16 people, including a former SGPC chief secretary, stemming from the disappearance of the sacred texts in 2020.

Confrontations have escalated as Mann, backed by a special investigative team, insists on a resolution. Meanwhile, SGPC, backed by the Akali Dal, denies political motives and accuses Mann of misleading the public. The disappearance controversy, originating at SGPC's Amritsar publication house, has opened a broader political dispute regarding religious and administrative boundaries.

(With inputs from agencies.)