Punjab police booked Spokesman Editor for hurting Sikh sentiments
PunjabNewsline.com - Punjab police booked Spokesman Editor for hurting Sikh sentiments
CHANDIGARH: Punjab police on Thursday registered a case against Joginder Singh (Sawhny) the editor of Punjabi vernacular Rozana Spokesman published from Mohali for its “alleged malicious writings about Sikh Gurus, Guru Granth Sahib, and various institutions of the Sikhs”.
The case has been registered at Amritsar following Punjab DGP P.S.Gill on the recommendations of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal directedthe police to book the editor and start investigation. The editor has been booked under section 295 A of Indian Panel code.
It all started on April 2 when the SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar accompanied by a delegation of the Sant Samaj and chief of Damdami Taksal met the Chief Minister to demand action against a Punjabi newspaper published from Mohali for its “alleged malicious writings about Sikh Gurus, Guru Granth Sahib, and various institutions of the Sikhs”.
On the memorandum submitted by the delegation, the Chief Minister observed that since it was a serious issue, an in-depth study of the writings from a legal point of view be conducted and report given in two days’ time.
A three-member inquiry committee comprising three Additional Advocates-General — AS Jattana, Uttam Singh Dhaliwal and Baljinder Singh Sra — was constituted by the Advocate-General.
The committee went through the memorandum as well as the alleged malicious writings. It observed that the “author has consistently, deliberately and maliciously questioned some of the very basic principles, practices and beliefs of the Sikh religion and its institutions, namely the five Takhts, Banis of the Nitnem and Sikh Ardas, etc, etc.
“All this is grossly offensive and provocative being an attempt to insult and outrage the feelings of the Sikhs by questioning their religion and religious beliefs. It is the basic article of faith of the Sikhs that Guru Granth Sahib is the living Guru of the Sikhs and embodies a divine message.”
The committee held that these publications comprehended within the meaning of the offence as defined in Section 295-A of the IPC and suggested that the matter should be sent immediately to the Director-General of Police for taking necessary action forthwith. And since the main complainants are the SGPC chief Makkar and the Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh, the committee also recommended that a case be registered at Amritsar.
The Advocate-General besides endorsing the recommendations also quoted the Supreme Court in SGPC vs Som Nath Dass case where the holiest book of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, compiled by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, has been described as the Bible of the Sikhs. It also says that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is a living Guru of the Sikhs.
PunjabNewsline.com - Punjab police booked Spokesman Editor for hurting Sikh sentiments
CHANDIGARH: Punjab police on Thursday registered a case against Joginder Singh (Sawhny) the editor of Punjabi vernacular Rozana Spokesman published from Mohali for its “alleged malicious writings about Sikh Gurus, Guru Granth Sahib, and various institutions of the Sikhs”.
The case has been registered at Amritsar following Punjab DGP P.S.Gill on the recommendations of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal directedthe police to book the editor and start investigation. The editor has been booked under section 295 A of Indian Panel code.
It all started on April 2 when the SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar accompanied by a delegation of the Sant Samaj and chief of Damdami Taksal met the Chief Minister to demand action against a Punjabi newspaper published from Mohali for its “alleged malicious writings about Sikh Gurus, Guru Granth Sahib, and various institutions of the Sikhs”.
On the memorandum submitted by the delegation, the Chief Minister observed that since it was a serious issue, an in-depth study of the writings from a legal point of view be conducted and report given in two days’ time.
A three-member inquiry committee comprising three Additional Advocates-General — AS Jattana, Uttam Singh Dhaliwal and Baljinder Singh Sra — was constituted by the Advocate-General.
The committee went through the memorandum as well as the alleged malicious writings. It observed that the “author has consistently, deliberately and maliciously questioned some of the very basic principles, practices and beliefs of the Sikh religion and its institutions, namely the five Takhts, Banis of the Nitnem and Sikh Ardas, etc, etc.
“All this is grossly offensive and provocative being an attempt to insult and outrage the feelings of the Sikhs by questioning their religion and religious beliefs. It is the basic article of faith of the Sikhs that Guru Granth Sahib is the living Guru of the Sikhs and embodies a divine message.”
The committee held that these publications comprehended within the meaning of the offence as defined in Section 295-A of the IPC and suggested that the matter should be sent immediately to the Director-General of Police for taking necessary action forthwith. And since the main complainants are the SGPC chief Makkar and the Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh, the committee also recommended that a case be registered at Amritsar.
The Advocate-General besides endorsing the recommendations also quoted the Supreme Court in SGPC vs Som Nath Dass case where the holiest book of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, compiled by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, has been described as the Bible of the Sikhs. It also says that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is a living Guru of the Sikhs.
