The Supreme Court today ordered the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee, SGPC, and the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committe, HSGPC, to maintain a status quo on the issue of management control of all 52 Sikh shrines in Haryana till its further orders. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha directed SGPC and HSGPC to open separate bank accounts to deposit the offerings by devotees in these 52 gurdwaras. The court also directed Haryana police chief to take all steps to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident. Yesterday, clashes between supporters of the newly formed HSGPC and the SGPC broke out in Kurukshetra over the control of Gurudwaras in the state. The case has been posted for further hearing on Aug 25. The Supreme court's direction came on a petition by Harbhajan Singh – a member of SGPC from Kurukshetra – seeking the invalidation of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act 2014, contending that it was ultra vires of the constitution and the state assembly had no power to enact it. The Haryana Government on 11th of the last month had passed a bill in the state assembly to create an independent committee, HSGPC to monitor Sikh Gurdwaras in the state. The Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras Management Bill, 2014 got the assent of the Haryana governor on 14th of the last month. The formation of a new committee has sparked a bitter tussle between the Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee, SGPC, and the new panel over control of Sikh shrines in Haryana.
The Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that the State Government would abide by the decision of Supreme Court in the matter of separate Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee for Haryana and maintain law and order situation in the State. Mr Hooda also appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and President of Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) Avtar Singh Makkar to give the Sikhs of Haryana their due right of serving and managing the Gurudwaras. AIR correspondent reports that the situation remained peaceful in Kurukshetra today and taking precautionary measure, the District Magistrate has imposed section 144 in the area.