SAD accuses Centre, States of interfering in Sikh religious affairs, calls to end to ‘unholy acts’
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 24, 2025 — The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has issued a sharp condemnation of what it described as ongoing governmental interference in Sikh religious institutions, urging both the Centre and various State governments to immediately halt attempts to “usurp control” of Sikh shrines and bodies.
In a resolution passed during a special meeting of the party’s Core Committee at its headquarters, SAD warned against what it called “unholy and greedy acts” targeting sacred Sikh institutions, including the Takhats of the Khalsa Panth at Huzoor Sahib and Patna Sahib. It also criticised the removal of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) from the control of the Sikh Sangat and the “forcible” bifurcation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) through the creation of a separate Haryana body.
The resolution invoked the legacy of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, stating that the Guru’s martyrdom was a stand against state interference and oppression of religious freedoms. “It is a great irony,” the committee said, “that governments today in Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, and at the Centre are committing the same sins of religious interference and repression against which the great Guru sacrificed his life.”
Presiding over the meeting, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal echoed the party’s concerns. In his statement, he said that while the entire country was commemorating the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, the tributes would be meaningful only if governments ceased interference in Sikh religious matters. He urged authorities in Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and at the Centre to “stop attacks on Sikh institutions and sacred Gurdhams.”
Badal also criticised the Centre for what he alleged were steps to undermine Punjab’s constitutional and territorial rights, including moves to make Chandigarh a regular Union Territory, attempts to alter the governance model of Panjab University, and efforts to dilute Punjab’s authority over the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). Reiterating that Punjab holds an “inalienable right” over Chandigarh, he vowed that SAD would resist any attempts to take it away and appealed to all political parties and Punjabis to unite in defending the state’s rights.
The Core Committee also accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of “belittling” the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib—a claim the party said it would not tolerate. The committee extended appreciation to party president Sukhbir Singh Badal for what it termed his “inspirational leadership,” citing a surge of support for SAD in the Tarn Taran bypoll. It further announced that the party will contest the upcoming Zila Parishad elections on its symbol.