Outgoing admin of Maharashtra gurdwara sees no politics in non-Sikh succeeding him, Badal says attack on Sikh identity

However, the outgoing administrator of the board, Parvinder Singh Pasricha, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who served as the 30th police commissioner of the Mumbai police and as the director general of police in Maharashtra, said he saw no conspiracy in the appointment of a non-Sikh administrator.

“It has happened in the past also for brief periods. I think the government was busy with the Assembly session. So, they gave the charge to the collector for some time. The government may soon appoint a new administrator,” Pasricha told The Indian Express.

Pasricha was appointed administrator on June 29, 2022, by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. When the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power, it gave an extension to Pasricha.

“I stay away from politics. I don’t think there is any politics behind not giving me an extension. It would have been better if the government had given me an extension. But there is no big deal if the charge is given to the collector until the next appointment,” said Pasricha.

On the allegations of interference from the BJP-led Centre and Maharashtra government, Pasricha said, “I was never approached by any government. There is nothing much to worry about the current appointment of a non-Sikh collector as administrator,” said Pasricha.

“The last elections for the board were conducted in 2019, and the tenure of elected members ended in 2022. After that, I was appointed the administrator. The government will have to make some arrangements until the next elections are conducted,” said Pasricha.

Meanwhile, passing a resolution against the appointment of the collector, SGPC president Dhami said, “Recently, the sentiments of Sikhs have been hurt by appointing a non-Sikh as an administrator of the Gurdwara Board of Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, Nanded. It can never be accepted that the administrator of a Board of the holy Takht Sahib is a non-Sikh. The government’s interference is being made to weaken the Sikh organisations through government institutions under its authority.”

SAD president Badal Monday alleged that appointing a non-Sikh as the administrator of the sacred Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib is “part of a dangerous ideological assault on the separate Sikh identity”.

“This is a continuation of the persistent attacks on and interference in the internal religious affairs of the SGPC,” Badal said in separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He called for the immediate reversal of the decision and the appointment of a Sikh from among the bureaucrats as the administrator of the Takhat associated with Guru Gobind Singh. He also urged the union and state governments to ‘show greater sensitivity to Sikh sentiments.’

Manjinder Singh Sirsa also wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde to appoint with the same demand.