Former Haryana chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday urged the state government to adopt an impartial and sensitive approach to the ongoing issue at the historic Gurudwara Panjokhra Sahib in Ambala.
Hooda said the matter was sensitive and should be resolved through dialogue, restraint and mutual understanding rather than police action, lathi-charge or registration of cases.
He alleged that the state government often fails to respond to law-and-order issues with the urgency and seriousness they require, allowing them to acquire caste or communal overtones.
“The confrontation at the Gurudwara was allowed to continue for too long, and the government took unilateral action without understanding the seriousness of the situation,” Hooda said. He said several members of the Sikh Sangat and police personnel were injured during the protests, while vehicles were also reportedly damaged.
“Instead of allowing the situation to worsen, the BJP government should withdraw the cases registered against members of the Sikh Sangat, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and farmers,” he said.
Referring to the death of a person who was reportedly crushed under a vehicle during the confrontation, Hooda alleged that the administration had initially failed to take legal action against the vehicle's occupant and driver.
He said the authorities should have held detailed discussions with the protesters instead of using force. “The use of force only aggravated the situation and created tension that spread from Haryana to Punjab,” he added.
Hooda also recalled that the Congress government had created a separate Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee for Haryana to address disputes related to the management of gurdwaras and rebuild trust among the Sikh Sangat. He claimed the move helped resolve several disputes and prevented confrontations at gurdwaras in the state.
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