INDIA
The SGPC said doors for talks with the Dera could open if the latter apologises for the 'sacrilege' allegedly committed by the Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh.
SIRSA/AMRITSAR: Pressure mounted on Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh to offer an apology for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs after marathon behind-the-scene talks between him and leaders of four faiths in Sirsa.
Emerging from the talks with the Dera chief, Swami Agnivesh, who led a delegation of four religious leaders to Dera Sacha Sauda and held ten hours of talks with its head, said on Wednesday night that Sant Gurmit Ram Raheem Singh should tender an 'open hearted apology' if the situation is to improve in Punjab and other states.
Agnivesh said he would not like to comment whether it was right or wrong for the Dera head to have imitated a dress of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru.
"But it is a fact that the sentiments of the Sikhs have been hurt," he said adding, "they should come forward and apologise."
He said the marathon discussions with the Dera Chief and other officials at Sirsa, which concluded at 1am on Wednesday, centered around various issues, including the case registered against Sant Gurmit at Bhatinda recently for hurting religious sentiments and the May 27 deadline for the closure of Deras in Punjab.
Swami Agnivesh said, "I am confident that if the Dera gives an open-hearted apology, things can improve".
The issues raised by the Dera, including the Bhatinda case, can be sorted out.
Swami Agnivesh said Dera Sacha Sauda had "assured that they were with us. We were expecting the draft of a joint statement from them yesterday itself but it had not come so far. After its receipt, the issue is to be taken up with Sikh leaders, including the Akal Takht, the highest temporal and spiritual seat of Sikhs."
The four-member all religion delegation led by Swami Agnivesh held marathon discussions at the Dera headquarters at Sirsa.
First, they had around two-hour talks with Dera officials followed by around seven-hour discussions with the Dera head and other officials.
Agnivesh said the peaceful bandh in Punjab indicated that the Sikhs also wanted a peaceful resolution.
Rakesh Parkash Jain, Father Philips and Mohd Jamal Ahmed Ilyasi representing Jain, Christianity and Muslim religions, accompanied Swami Agnivesh.
Agnivesh said the Dera chief was also concerned over the deteriorating situation in Punjab and favoured taking various steps to bring peace in the neighbouring state.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar told reporters in Amritsar said his organization would take all possible steps for compliance of the religious edict issued by the five Sikh High Priests last Sunday against the Dera including closure of its centres in Punjab by May 27.
Akal Takht Jathedar Gyani Joginder Singh Vedanti said the channel of dialogue on various, including the edict on closure of Dera centres in Punjab, could be opened with the Dera if its chief came forward with a public apology for his action of allegedly having worn a dress similar to the one worn by Guru Gobind Singh.
'I think bro is her EX': Man performs risky bike stunt with burqa-clad woman in Bangladesh, watch
Viral video: Little girl's power-packed dance to 'beer song' melts hearts online, watch
Explained: Why India must win the 1st Test against Australia in Perth
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...