Parkash Singh Badal seeks Prime Minister's intervention in Sikh board issue

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on friday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention for the setting up of Popular Board in place of Administrator/Administrator Board at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib at Nanded.

The Chief Minister asked the PM to do so in accordance with Section 6 of the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956 for managing day-to-day affairs of the shrine, associated with Tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Badal impressed upon Singh to immediately take up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs, thereby asking the Maharashtra government to immediately initiate action for the constitution of Popular Board, as per direction of the Bombay High Court.

He requested the Prime Minister to resolve this emotive issue at the earliest without any further delay, besides safeguarding the interests of Sikh community in Maharashtra.

The Bombay High Court in its recent judgement had directed the Maharashtra government to initiate necessary steps to constitute the board within two months.

Meanwhile, Badal has also written to his counterpart in Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, to commence the process for the constitution of the Popular Board expeditiously, an official release said here.