Ensure safety of Sikhs: SGPC to Haryana government

PATIALA/KAITHAL: Expressing concern over a communal clash in Badsui village near Kaithal , Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal on Monday asked the Haryana government to ensure the safety of Sikhs, who are in minority in the neighbouring state. He said the SGPC has demanded justice for the victims and action against those responsible for the clash, in which one a Sikh man, Shamsher Singh, was killed and several others sustained grievous injuries.

The SGPC chief announced financial aid of Rs 2 lakh for the family of deceased and Rs 25,000 each for those injured.

He said an SGPC committee will look into what transpired before the violence. Meanwhile, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president and Delhi MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa also visited Badsui. The clash is said to have taken place over a property dispute.

Sirsa met family members of Shamsher and announced an additional financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh from DSGMC and Rs 10,000 for those injured in the clash.

He asked the government to extend financial assistance and provide a government job to Shamsher's family. "The family is a victim of political conspiracy, so the Haryana Government must come forward to support it," he said.

Villagers alleged that Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini had conspired to instigate communal discord by approving a grant of Rs 5 lakh for the disputed land. Villagers demanded a probe into Saini's role in creating tension in the village. They alleged that two attackers from the village have not been arrested, and the names were noted by Sirsa.

Talking to TOI, Sirsa called the incident "unfortunate" and said the MP's role should be probed. "While not even a single penny from MPLAD funds has been allocated from the entire area of Gulha and Cheeka, the MP gave Rs 5 lakh for the development of a piece of land that was disputed," he said. "An attempt was made to create communal unrest in the area, but the matter did not go out of control," he alleged.

Sirsa also promised a library in the village gurdwara in the name of deceased Shamsher Singh.

Later, Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) president Didar Singh Nalvi also visited the village and demanded a probe into the incident.

MP Raj Kumar Saini has already said that while allocating funds from the MPLADS, he was not aware that the land for which the grant had been sought was disputed.