Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: A new controversy has erupted involving the AAP-led Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over the telecast rights of ‘Gurbani’ every morning from Golden Temple in Amritsar.
SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said today that open tenders would soon be called for a Gurbani broadcast from Golden Temple. He said that a five-member committee has been formed for this task, which will decide the terms and conditions.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Monday hit out at the SGPC chief for extending the telecast rights of Gurbani from the Golden Temple to only the Badals’ TV channel, saying that the committee president is acting like a puppet in the hands of the Akalis.Mann again raked up the issue in Sangrur. “Why is ‘Gurbani’ being telecast by Badals’ channel (an indication to the SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal’s family),” he asked.
“If somebody speaks about freeing the Badals’ hold on the telecast of Gurbani, then it is considered interference in religious matters. But if the SGPC chief seeks votes for the SAD candidate in Jalandhar (the recent Lok Sabha bypoll), then it is a personal decision. The SGPC chief should think and respond after asking the Badals. I know you take all directions from them,”’ said the CM.
Dhami accused Mann of playing politics over the issue claiming that the Punjab CM lacked knowledge about Sikh principle of Miri Piri (Sikh doctrine of a relationship between devotion and power). Dhami said as per rules, since 1998, the SGPC had given the rights to broadcast Gurbani from Golden Temple to various channels, under which the current agreement with G-Next Media Pvt Ltd (PTC Channel) is valid up to July 2023. The previous agreement was signed on July 24, 2012, for 11 years. After its expiration, a fresh process will be initiated.
He said under the ongoing agreement, G-Next Media had decided to give Rs 1 crore annually to the education fund of SGPC. He said that a ‘maryada’ (conduct) is mandatory for the broadcasting of Gurbani, due to which everyone cannot be given the right to broadcast it.
CHANDIGARH: A new controversy has erupted involving the AAP-led Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over the telecast rights of ‘Gurbani’ every morning from Golden Temple in Amritsar.
SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said today that open tenders would soon be called for a Gurbani broadcast from Golden Temple. He said that a five-member committee has been formed for this task, which will decide the terms and conditions.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Monday hit out at the SGPC chief for extending the telecast rights of Gurbani from the Golden Temple to only the Badals’ TV channel, saying that the committee president is acting like a puppet in the hands of the Akalis.Mann again raked up the issue in Sangrur. “Why is ‘Gurbani’ being telecast by Badals’ channel (an indication to the SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal’s family),” he asked.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“If somebody speaks about freeing the Badals’ hold on the telecast of Gurbani, then it is considered interference in religious matters. But if the SGPC chief seeks votes for the SAD candidate in Jalandhar (the recent Lok Sabha bypoll), then it is a personal decision. The SGPC chief should think and respond after asking the Badals. I know you take all directions from them,”’ said the CM.
Dhami accused Mann of playing politics over the issue claiming that the Punjab CM lacked knowledge about Sikh principle of Miri Piri (Sikh doctrine of a relationship between devotion and power). Dhami said as per rules, since 1998, the SGPC had given the rights to broadcast Gurbani from Golden Temple to various channels, under which the current agreement with G-Next Media Pvt Ltd (PTC Channel) is valid up to July 2023. The previous agreement was signed on July 24, 2012, for 11 years. After its expiration, a fresh process will be initiated.
He said under the ongoing agreement, G-Next Media had decided to give Rs 1 crore annually to the education fund of SGPC. He said that a ‘maryada’ (conduct) is mandatory for the broadcasting of Gurbani, due to which everyone cannot be given the right to broadcast it.
