AmritsarJul 24, 2025 09:00 IST
First published on: Jul 24, 2025 at 09:00 IST
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The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has yet again locked horns with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-controlled Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), this time over their parallel events to be organised to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
A controversy erupted Tuesday after AAP Minister Harjot Singh Bains unveiled the government’s plans to mark Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom anniversary. According to Bains, the state government would hold various events in this regard during November 19-25 this year. This would include a special yatra to be taken out from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on November 19, which CM Mann would flag off. Separate yatras would start simultaneously from the Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions of Punjab and converge on Anandpur Sahib, the Minister said.
However, the government’s plans have not gone down well with the SGPC, which has been holding a series of its own events across the country since April to mark Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom anniversary.
“The overlapping programmes will not only cause confusion but also go against the long-standing traditions of the Khalsa Panth. The government must focus on creating meaningful memorials rather than adopting a confrontational approach,” SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said Tuesday, alleging that the Mann government’s move appears to be a “deliberate” bid to “sideline” the Sikh institutions.
Pointing out that previous governments had cooperated with the SGPC in commemorating such events and setting up memorials, Dhami asked why the AAP government had not shown the same “seriousness” during its tenure. “The current government is instead interfering in the jurisdiction of Panthic institutions and organisations,” he said.
Hitting back, CM Mann asked whether the SGPC had a “copyright” on holding events related to the Sikh Gurus.
In 2019, the SGPC had clashed with the then Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government over the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak over the government’s proposal to hold separate events.
The 350th anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom, which will fall in November, would provide the state’s political players a major opportunity to reach out to the people in the run-up to the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls. The SAD in particular, whose electoral fortunes have plunged in recent years amid internal rifts, would look to revive its fortunes.
If the AAP government and the SGPC resolve their differences and hold the events together, Mann may be forced to share the stage with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. The matter could become tricky for the SGPC itself as it has repeatedly targeted the AAP CM in the past.
Despite the row, the Punjab government, which expects over a crore devotees to arrive in Anandpur Sahib, seems to be leaving no stone unturned in preparing for the events. It has planned to hold the sound-and-light shows across all 23 districts of the state apart from various seminars in universities to highlight the legacy of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
As part of its preparations, the AAP government is also planning to transform Anandpur Sahib into a “white city” and will also set up a “tent city” to accommodate the visiting devotees. The government is also coordinating with its counterparts in Haryana, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir to ensure smooth conduct of the events. The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Committee leaders also met Mann recently.
Dhami said that while the SGPC has planned to invite heads of all state governments to the events to ensure inclusivity, the Mann government’s moves raised “serious concerns”. SGPC secretary Balwinder Singh however said he had no knowledge if the body had communicated with the AAP government.