Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann set for Bhavnagar, Bharuch campaign tour for AAP on April 16-17
This move comes as the AAP and Congress navigate a recent seat-sharing agreement within the INDIA bloc.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday urged Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit to give his consent to proposed Amendment in Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 for ending the monopoly of Badal family over telecast of sacred Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib.
In a letter to the Governor, Mann said that one particular television channel owned by a political family has monopolised telecast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple and has been making profits from it.
The CM said in order to propagate the teachings of Holy Gurus and ensure the telecast of Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) freely available to all, ‘The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ was introduced in the Assembly.
He said Section 125-A was inserted in ‘The Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925’ and the state Assembly passed it with overwhelming majority.
The CM, however, said though the Bill was sent for signatures to the Governor on 26 June, it has not been signed till date. He said that this amounts to stifling the democratic will of the people of Punjab.
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Mann apprised the Governor that agreement of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) with the said channel will expire on 23 July,2023.
He said in case the Governor does not give nod to the Bill immediately, it may lead to a situation where millions of devotees across the world will be again deprived of watching the live telecast of Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib.
The CM said this will seriously hurt their religious sentiments of the Sikhs across the globe. He urged the Governor to sign this Bill at the earliest, so that telecast of Sarab Sanjhi Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib can be made freely available to all through various channels and media.
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