Chandigarh: The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) had spent Rs. 91 Lakhs on advertisements supporting controversial decision of Sikh jathedars to grant pardon to Dera Sauda Sirsa (DSS) chief. The fact came into light after some executive committee members asked SGPC president to tender details of amount expended on newspaper advertisements.
On being asked that have the SGPC executive committee ever discussed the issue of sum expended from Guru’s Golak on advertising pardon to dera sauda chief, that was later withdrawn by the Jathedars, Avtar Singh Makkar said that the ads were given to promote the notion of supremacy of the Akal Takhat Sahib. He said that the the executive approved these ads and the expenditure in today’s meeting.
Notably Jathedars had announced pardon to Dera Sauda Sirsa chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim on September 24, 2015 for his 2007 blasphemous activities. The decision was later withdrawn on October 16, 2015 after it was disapproved by global Sikh community.