Service Norms of Akal Takht jathedar: SGPC removes GNDU V-C from panel days after his interaction with RSS chief

The Akal Takht in July 2004, had issued a directive asking all Sikhs to remain cautious about the activities of RSS and its Sikh wing — Rashtriya Sikh Sangat. The directive was issued as both bodies were at the time taking proactive steps to celebrate 400th anniversary of first installation of Guru Granth Sahib, something that had irked the Akal Takht.

The GNDU, meanwhile, issued a statement saying that the Vice-Chancellor had attended a programme organised by Amrita University, Kochi, which brought together V-Cs from various institutions. “The purpose of this gathering was to strengthen academic collaboration and share information about initiatives being undertaken at their respective universities,” it said.

During the event, V-C Singh shared details about the institution’s efforts to digitize the Punjabi language as a response to modern needs, environmental initiatives inspired by Sri Guru Har Rai Ji, and the university’s role in promoting Sikh philosophy, it said.

The university further said that misleading statements based on incomplete information about the event are being circulated on social media, and such claims are far from the truth. The university urged the public not to believe or spread unverified or misleading information.

Earlier, Punjab Congress MLA Pargat Singh had raised objections after a video purportedly showing GNDU V-C briefing Bhagwat at the Mysuru event on July 28 surfaced.

The allaged interaction took place at the ‘Gyan Sabha – Education for Viksit Bharat’, an event organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham at BN Bahadur Institute of Management Sciences (BNBIMS). The event focused on the role of education in building a developed India.

Pargat criticised the Punjab government, accusing it of ideological alignment with the RSS. Taking to X, he posted: “When GNDU’s Vice-Chancellor is seen abjectly explaining things to the RSS chief, it raises serious questions. It shows how the AAP government in Punjab has helped the RSS to take control of the entire education system, including universities, in Punjab.”

The video shared by the legislator purportedly shows the V-C rising from his seat in the audience and informing the RSS chief about initiatives at the university, including the introduction of a compulsory PhD course on Bharatiya Parampara (Indian tradition) and the establishment of a Sikh Chair aimed at studying the connections between the Rigveda and the teachings of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev.

Pargat Singh further alleged that the AAP government had already displayed its alignment with right-wing policies by implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) in the state.

The Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas was established in 2007 as an extension of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan, and has since emerged as the RSS’s principal platform for educational outreach. It promotes value-based education, textbook reforms, and the revival of Indian knowledge systems.