Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday questioned the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) decision to give exclusive rights to a Punjabi television network, linked to the Badal family for telecasting Gurbani from the Golden Temple.

Addressing a gathering at Dirba in Sangrur, Chief Minister Mann said that it is unfortunate that instead of giving free rights of Gurbani to all the channels, the SGPC president is towing the line set by his masters (Badals) to give it only to one channel.

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“What objections SGPC President has if the universal message of Sarbat Da Bhala (welfare of all) is disseminated through the Sarb Sanji Gurbani across the globe,” Mann said, daring the SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami to explain what was more important spreading the message of Gurbani or extending largesse to their blue eyed channel.

 Reacting to the CM’s similar statement on Sunday asking the SGPC to extend rights to telecast ‘Gurbani’ to all channels free of cost and offer to pay all expenses for the free telecast, the SGPC chief had advised Mann against creating unnecessary controversy and confusion by tweeting about the Gurbani broadcast or ‘Guru Ghar’ matters.

“The jurisdiction related to ‘Panthic’ works undertaken by a Sikh organisation and the Qaum (community) are different and the domain of a government is different. Your government is proving to be a failure pertaining to the jurisdiction of a government,” Dhami said in a tweet.

Responding to this, the CM said the SGPC chief who asks for votes for the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) in Lok Sabha polls has no moral right to give sermons to him. He said the SGPC president must say that giving the rights of telecasting of Gurbani poses a threat to the religion. Mann said this is a vague statement which needs to be condemned by one and all.
The CM said that it is unfortunate that the SGPC is acting like a puppet in the hands of the Badal family and is being used by them for fulfilling their nefarious political designs.

He said the Badals have misused SGPC for stalling the ambitious project of the Medical College at Mastuana Sahib, which could have transformed the fortunes of the people of the region. Mann said these people have no interest in the well being of the people but they are always bothered about their vested political interests.