Punjab government, SGPC spar over parallel events for Guru Tegh Bahadur's 350th martyrdom anniversary
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the Punjab government should focus on establishing meaningful memorials in connection with the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the Ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadar, instead of creating a confrontational atmosphere by organising parallel religious events.
Dhami said the SGPC had already planned a series of events related 350th martyrdom anniversary a year in advance, beginning in April 2025 from Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal, Amritsar. Since then, events have been organised across various parts of the country.
He said that the Punjab government's announcement of parallel events—overlapping with those planned by the SGPC at Anandpur Sahib—will cause confusion among the Sangat (community) and goes against long-standing traditions
He alleged that the government appears to be deliberately trying to sideline Sikh institutions. Historically, centenary celebrations related to Sikh heritage and history have been led by the Khalsa Panth, with participation from all Sikh sampradas and organisations while the governments supporting them.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Aam Aadmi Party protests poor road construction in Kolhapur
Kolhapur: Aam Aadmi Party staged a protest on Saturday at the Shahu Khasbag Maidan bus stop to condemn the poor quality of road construction by a private contractor appointed by the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC). The project was funded with Rs 100.3 crore under the Maharashtra Rajya Suvarna Jayanti Nagarutthan Yojana scheme. AAP workers, holding a cutout of a premium SUV recently purchased by a city MLA, alleged that almost all roads in the city have deteriorated due to potholes, making them motorable only by premium SUVs. Sandip Desai, AAP's state secretary, said, "If the city MLA approved a fund of Rs 100 crore for road works, then it is also his job to ensure the quality of the works. He travels in luxury cars, so he does not understand the plight of two-wheeler riders, rickshaw pullers, and ordinary Kolhapur residents." Despite the substandard work, officials have paid the contractor a bill of Rs 22 crore. Desai added, "The officials, contractors, consultants, subcontractors, and public representatives are responsible for these poor roads. Even though the deadline passed, these works have not been completed yet." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Pieces of Clothing Older Women should Avoid Learn More Undo Meanwhile, Uttam Patil, AAP's city president, said, "The road is in poor condition due to not doing the gutter channel work before the road construction, not using the sensor machine, and the responsible officer not being available at the site for actual inspection at the time of works. The contractor and consultant appointed are responsible for using the right material, taking measurements of the road, getting the work done as per the design, and coordinating the necessary tests to maintain the quality. Nothing has been followed." AAP office-bearers present included Abhijit Kamble, Suraj Surve, Sameer Latif, Dushyant Mane, Usha Vader, Vijay Hegde, Rakesh Gaikwad, Sanjay Nalvade, Umesh Vader, Lakhan Kazi, Ranjit Patil, Swapnil Kale, Baban Bhalerao, Amarsinh Dalvi, Aditya Powar, Prakash Harne, Ramesh Koli, etc.
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Ajit Pawar visit to Pune reignites Opposition charge of ‘flight' of industries
The spectre of industries, jobs and economic opportunities moving out or away from Maharashtra to other States reared its ahead again on Saturday (July 26, 2025) as a video of Deputy Chief Minister in conversation with a sarpanch from a Pune suburb referenced the issue. Conducting a 6 a.m. surprise visit the Hinjewadi area of the city to review ongoing efforts to tackle civic infrastructure issues that have worsened during the monsoon, Mr. Pawar was heard confronting Hinjewadi sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar, 'We are ruined. The entire Hinjewadi IT Park is moving out. It's going out of my Pune, out of Maharashtra, to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Don't you care at all?' The Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was referring to the condition of the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi, spread over 2,800 acres and developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation in the mid-1990s, which houses over 800 IT and business entities including majors such as Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Tech Mahindra. The visit came in response to severe waterlogging and traffic chaos during the first spell of monsoon, which had triggered public complaints. Sapkal criticism Following the video going viral, the Congress accused the Mahayuti government of failing to maintain Maharashtra's industrial dominance, citing crumbling infrastructure, corruption and lawlessness. 'The IT industry that once flourished in Hinjewadi during Congress rule is now migrating to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar himself has admitted this,' said Harshvardhan Sapkal, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Mr. Sapkal questioned Mr. Pawar's dual role as Pune's Guardian Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. 'Was Ajit Pawar asleep while Pune declined? He must take responsibility and resign,' he demanded. Launching a sharp critique of the BJP-led alliance government, he said, 'Basic infrastructure is collapsing, and entrepreneurs are losing faith. As a result, not just existing businesses but even future investments are moving away – largely to Gujarat.' The Maharashtra Congress chief cited the ₹1.6-lakh-crore Vedanta-Foxconn project, which was lost to Gujarat, as an example of 'BJP's administrative failure'. 'If even the Deputy CM acknowledges the flight of industries, the government owes the public a clear explanation,' he said. Hinjewadi's decline In May 2024, the Hinjewadi Industries Association (HIA) had claimed that 37 IT companies moved out from the infotech park over the previous 10 years due to the deteriorating infrastructure and traffic congestion in the locality. A month later, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule said she would hold meetings with the infotech park companies and convince them to stay back. 'The kind of IT park expansion we see elsewhere, like Bengaluru, has not happened here. We are potentially losing business – companies are reluctant to send their employees to Hinjewadi despite the government's efforts. It will take time to regain their confidence,' said Pawanjit Mane, Maharashtra State president of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE).
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
No proof Hamas routinely stole UN aid: Israeli military officials
JERUSALEM: For nearly two years, Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid provided by the United Nations and other international organisations. The govt has used that claim as its main rationale for restricting food from entering the Gaza Strip. But the Israeli military never found proof that the Palestinian militant group had systematically stolen aid from the United Nations, the biggest supplier of emergency assistance to Gaza for most of the war, according to two senior Israeli military officials and two other Israelis involved in the matter. In fact, the Israeli military officials said, the UN aid delivery system was largely effective in providing food to Gaza's hungry population. Now, with hunger at crisis levels in the territory, Israel is coming under increased international pressure over its conduct of the war in Gaza and the humanitarian suffering it has brought. Israel has largely brushed off the criticism. David Mencer, a govt spokesperson, said this past week that there was "no famine caused by Israel." Instead, he blamed Hamas and poor coordination by the United Nations for any food shortages. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo Israel moved in May toward replacing the UN-led aid system, opting instead to back a private, American-run operation guarded by armed US contractors in areas controlled by Israeli military forces. Some aid still comes into Gaza through the UN and other organisations. The new system has proved to be much deadlier for Palestinians. According to the Gaza health ministry, almost 1,100 people have been killed by gunfire on their way to get food handouts under the new system, in many cases by Israeli soldiers who opened fire on hungry crowds. In the latest such incident, three people were killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid in three separate incidents in northern, central and southern Gaza, said the civil defence agency on Saturday. In total, at least 25 people were killed, reports AFP. The military officials who spoke to The New York Times said that the original UN aid operation was relatively reliable and less vulnerable to Hamas interference than the operations of many of the other groups bringing aid into Gaza. Hamas did steal from some of the smaller organisations that donated aid, according to the senior Israeli officials and others involved in the matter. But, they say, there was no evidence that Hamas regularly stole from the UN, which provided the largest chunk of the aid.
