Citing the current diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has announced the cancellation of the Sikh jatha scheduled to visit Pakistan for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore on June 29.
SGPC official Harbhajan Singh Vakta confirmed that the decision was made in light of the current diplomatic situation, following recent security concerns including the April 22 Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor conducted by Indian forces on May 7.
"Every year, the SGPC sends a group of Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan for religious visits. One of these visits is for Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death anniversary, which is observed there on June 29. This year, we sent a batch of passports to Delhi for clearance to go to Pakistan. But now, the SGPC has decided not to send the group. Our secretary officially announced this decision yesterday. Due to the current situation between the two countries, the group will not be sent this time," Vakta said.
"We had sent 249 passport applications to Pakistan for this visit. Since the trip is now cancelled, these passports will be returned after June 20. People can collect their passports from our travel department after that date," Vakta said.
Last year, Pakistan had issued 509 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India for the same occasion. A group of 317 pilgrims, led by interim committee member Khushvinder Singh Bhatia, visited Gurdwara Dehra Sahib in Lahore and other historic sites.
Maharaja Ranjeet Singh was the first king of the Sikh Empire in the 19th century. He is popularly known as 'Sher-e-Punjab.' Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born on November 13, 1780, in Budrukhan, or Gujranwala (now in Pakistan), and died on June 27, 1839, in Lahore (now in Pakistan).
According to Sikh beliefs, he ruled Punjab for 40 years. It is said that Maharaja Ranjit Singh fought against the Mughals and also conquered Lahore. Also, religious tolerance was promoted during his time, as many important ministers of his were Muslims.
SGPC chief slams Union Minister over slipper incident
Meanwhile, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami condemned Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar for allegedly throwing a slipper at a Sikh man during an incident on June 12, which reportedly struck his turban. Dhami demanded legal action, stating that the Sikh community has a long history of defending India’s sovereignty and contributing to its freedom movement.
While the Kolkata Police have registered a case, the BJP has denied the charge, claiming that it was merely a piece of paper that was thrown, not a slipper.
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