Chandigarh: Sikh Council UK, a UK based Sikh body has vehmently critized the the offensive distortion of the Sikh Ardas at a function in Bathinda’s Rampura Phul constituency on last Monday by Hindutva elements. These elements were accommodated by Punjab State Minister of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) Sikhandar Maluka.
The malicious episode was reportedly held to celebrate the inauguration of campaign offices for Sikander Maluka on 26th December 2016. At the event a reading of the Hindu Mythological scriptures, Ramayan, took place followed by a prayer which was a clear distortion of the established Sikh Ardas through replacing of names of the Sikh Gurus and selected phrases with those of Hindu deities and phrases.
Sikh Council UK said that the Ardas is a longstanding supplicatory Sikh prayer established under the Sikh Rehit Maryada (Sikh code of conduct) and the Sikh sangat is extremely disappointed that a Punjab State Minister of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) party would host an event promoting its distortion and cause outrage to the Sikhs globally.
The Sikh Council UK has call upon the SGPC to undertake a comprehensive and impartial investigation into all aspects of the matter including establishing the facts surrounding which individual or body is responsible for constructing the distortion of the Sikh Ardas and when this occurred and to publish its findings, they further demanded that the Akal Takhat Sahab should take a strict notice in dealing with this matter in respect of Sikander Maluka and more widely for all religious and state authorities should ensure that there is no repeat of the distortion of the Sikh Ardas in the future.