Recovery of missing saroops: Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib management terms CM Mann’s claim ‘baseless’, says statement misled Sikh Sangat
CM Mann has claimed that 169 saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji were found at the site, but records were available for only 30
PTC Web Desk: The management of Gurdwara Shri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib, Banga, has dismissed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s claims regarding Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji saroops as baseless, alleging that the statement was made to divert attention from his appearance at Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Reacting strongly to the Chief Minister’s remarks, the gurdwara management said the statement has created confusion and distress among the Sikh sangat, while misrepresenting facts related to the saroops maintained at the religious institution near Banga in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.
The Chief Minister had earlier claimed that 169 saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji were found at the site, but records were available for only 30. Countering this, gurdwara representative Amrik Singh Ballowal clarified that 107 out of the 169 saroops were published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
He further stated that 62 saroops were printed by different authorised printing presses, while 79 saroops were published between 1978 and 2012, a period before the formal system of mandatory record-keeping came into effect.
“The directive to maintain detailed records of saroops was issued only in 2015. Therefore, linking earlier publications to missing records is misleading,” Ballowal said. He added that the issue of allegedly missing saroops pertains specifically to the period between 2015 and 2019.
The management also clarified that 30 worn-out (birad) saroops were respectfully deposited at Sri Goindwal Sahib, following established Sikh religious practices.
Raising concerns over the investigation, the management said members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) visited the shrine on multiple occasions and were provided complete records voluntarily. However, they alleged that contradictory statements made by SIT members at different platforms have contributed to public confusion.
Reaffirming their faith in Sikh institutions, the management said that if there is any lapse in the observance of maryada, the matter should be examined by Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the supreme temporal authority of Sikhs. They noted that SGPC teams regularly inspect the gurdwara.
Questioning the state government’s role, the management asked whether the government has the authority to seek accountability of Guru Sahib’s saroops, stressing that religious matters should not be politicised.
The gurdwara authorities warned that irresponsible public statements could damage communal harmony and hurt the sentiments of devotees who hold Sri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib in high reverence.
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