Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said that the Supreme Court’s verdict to uphold the validity of Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, 2014, for the formation of a separate Sikh body for the state is a victory of Sikh bodies of the state.

“The Supreme Court’s verdict is a victory of Sikh bodies of Haryana,” said Khattar while meeting a delegation of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) and other Sikh delegates from main gurdwaras from across the state who called on the CM to thank him for the Act meant for the formation of a separate Gurdwara managing committee for Haryana.

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“When a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Management Committee can be formed for Patna Sahib and Delhi, then why the same cannot be done in Haryana. Several Gurdwaras in the state certainly have a special connection with many of our Sikh Gurus as they at some point of time had visited these historical Gurdwaras,” said the CM.

Khattar said that he was quite hopeful that the entire Sikh Sangat will now work in the spirit of harmony and brotherhood and will do its best in the interest of society. He assured that as per their expectation, Sikh Sangat will be given complete support from the state government and together they will work for the betterment of society.

The delegation included Jagdish Jhinda, Bhupender Singh, Baba Sukhdev Singh, Sant Baba Gurmeet Singh, Harpal Singh, Ranveer Singh, Harpreet Singh Narula, Jarnail Singh, Jagdev Singh Gaba and other Sikh Sangat remained present on the occasion.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management Act), 2014. The verdict has cleared the way for the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) to control all gurdwaras in the state.

The gurdwaras covered by the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 are spread over Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Chandigarh, and are administered by Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Management Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Until the Haryana Act came into force, the gurdwaras in Haryana were governed by the provisions of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. The Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management Act) was brought in view of a nearly two-decade old demand by a section of the Sikh community in Haryana to have a separate committee to manage gurdwaras in the state.