The Aam Aadmi Party government and the SGPC have attacked each other over the live broadcast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. While the SGPC maintains the broadcast rights of the religious hymn should be reserved for the apex Sikh body only, Mann has sought its free telecast on all TV channels.
The SGPC’s agreement with GNext Media – PTC channel – for exclusive telecast of Gurbani from the Sikh shrine will expire on July 23.
The Punjab Assembly on June 20 had passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aimed at ensuring free-to-air telecast of Gurbani. SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami had, however, opposed the move and said the apex gurdwara body will roll out its own YouTube channel on July 24 for the live broadcast of Gurbani.
The CM said the message of sacred Gurbani should be spread across the globe for cementing the ethos of universal brotherhood, communal harmony and peace. He advocated free of cost and free to air telecast of Gurbani for all channels to ensure its maximum reach.
Mann said that if the SGPC is having any hiccups then the state government is ready to make arrangements for this sewa within 24 hours.
The CM said this is the need of the hour to disseminate the Gurbani across the globe with an aim to spread the universal message of ‘Sarbat da Bhala’ (welfare of all). He said it is strange that since long only one channel has been given exclusive rights for the telecast of Gurbani from Sri Darbar Sahib.
Mann said these rights should be given free of cost to all the channels rather than confining it to a single channel.
He said it is strange that again the SGPC is on a dirty move to favour the blue eyed channel of Badals. Bhagwant Mann said that there seems to be no end to greed of the family and this channel.