The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has called for a criminal case against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson R P Singh, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments and inciting hatred by referring to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) as the “Shiromani Christian Community.”
In a statement, senior SAD leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema urged BJP president J P Nadda to impose strict disciplinary measures on R P Singh and to apologize to the Sikh community. Dr. Cheema expressed shock at Singh’s inflammatory remarks, which he believes were intended to tarnish the SGPC’s reputation, an institution formed through significant sacrifices and a long struggle against British colonial rule. He noted that such statements appear to be a deliberate attempt by BJP leaders to undermine the Shiromani Committee, especially with elections for its president approaching on October 28.
Dr. Cheema emphasized that these comments send a harmful message to religious minorities and insisted that no one should be permitted to disrupt peace and communal harmony in Punjab. He called for legal action against the BJP spokesperson to convey a strong message that attacks on Sikh religious institutions will not be tolerated.