With the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) accusing Punjab Chief Minister (CM) of interfering in religious affairs following Amarinder Singh’s warning to the Damdami Taksal – a Sikh seminary – over their alleged threats to a Sikh preacher, Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the issue should resolved by the SGPC amicably.

In a letter to SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, Amarinder said Punjab had passed through extremely difficult times, and it was time now for traditional institutions such as SGPC to take the initiative to resolve such issues amicably.

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He said threatening one another was not acceptable in a civilised society and he did not approve of such action, either as CM or as an individual.

Amarinder cited newspaper statement regarding the apprehension expressed by him on the differences between the Damdami Taksal and Sant Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale.

The CM then wrote to Longowal that if there was any difference of opinion amongst various Sikh sects, “then it is your bounden duty as chief of the SGPC to either resolve this issue or seek intervention of the Jathedar of the highest Sikh temporal institution, Sri Akal Takht Sahib.”

“Since you are the president of SGPC, as such the onus lies with you to take necessary steps in this regard,” said Amarinder.

Amarinder’s letter came in response to media reports quoting Longowal as saying that the CM should refrain from creating friction between religious preachers, Sant Samaj and Sikh organisations. Longowal’s statement was reportedly a reaction to the CM’s warning to Damdami Taksal following an open death threat, on a video, by its spokesperson against Dhadrianwale.

The CM had on May 24 issued a stern warning to the Damdami Taksal over their alleged threats to Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale and cautioned them against stepping out of their religious boundaries and making any attempt to take law into their own hands as he would treat any such acts as a threat to the state’s peace and harmony.

Following this, the SGPC chief had on Monday said the CM should refrain from creating friction between religious preachers, Sant Samaj and Sikh organisations. He said the Damdami Taksal had been instrumental in propagating Sikhism and any statement against it would hurt the Sikh sentiments.