Bhindranwales portrait installation: Congress seeks PMs intervention

The Congress party today sought the intervention of Prime Minster Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil in the installation of a portrait of slain rebel Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale at a Sikh museum in the Golden Temple premises.

Amritsar, Nov 30 : The Congress party today sought the intervention of Prime Minster Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil in the installation of a portrait of slain rebel Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale at a Sikh museum in the Golden Temple premises.

Former Congress MLA Raj Kumar demanded that a criminal case should be registered against the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC).

Welcoming the installation, Pritpal Singh, convener of American Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (AGPC), questioned as to why the SGPC changed the schedule of the installation without informing the Sikh Sangat.

Gurwinder Singh, president Sikh Council, Italy, also felt that by rescheduling the installation ceremony without intimating the Sikh community, the SGPC deprived many to take part in the event.

Meanwhile, several Sikh organizations have raised eyebrows over the installation of the portrait.

Bhindranwale was one of the main architects of militancy in Punjab and was killed during Operation Bluestar on June 6, 1984.

In 2003, the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee had declared Bhindranwale a "martyr".

ANI