Now, Ramdev booked for hurting Sikh sentiments
Tuesday, 06/05/2014
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
JALANDHAR: Beleaguered yoga guru Ramdev has landed in another controversy. An FIR has been registered against him here on the charge of hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs during his yoga camp held at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district in November 2011.
A photograph, which has gone viral in the past few days, shows Ramdev sitting on a sofa, with a picture of Guru Gobind Singh, t he 1 0 t h Si kh Guru, placed near his feet. Several FIRs have already been registered across the country against the yoga guru over his ‘Dalit honeymoon’ remarks targeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. The case was registered on Monday evening under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Division No. 4 police station, following a complaint by local resident and Sikh Talmel Committee member Harpreet Singh.
Additional deputy c o mmissioner of police (ADCP), Jalandhar-1, Naresh Kumar Dogra said, “On the basis of the complaint, the case has been registered against the yoga guru. Some vernacular newspapers have already reported the alleged incident. However, the validity of the photograph is yet to be probed.”
The Sikh Talmel Committee members also bur nt an effigy of Ramdev at Company Bagh chowk and submitted a memorandum to t he pol i c e. They d e manded Ramdev’s a r re s t within two days of registration of the case.
Despite repeated attempts, Ramdev could not be contacted. His close aide in Patanjali Yogpeeth, Swami Arya, said the yoga guru was not available for comment as he had gone to Gurukul (Haryana) on a personal visit.
Ramdev’s official spokesman SK Iijarawala said the yoga guru had high re gard for all Sikh Gurus and their contribution and this was evident in his various speeches.
He added, “I don’t know the truth, but if the complainant is to be believed, the mistake must have been committed at the level of the camp organisers in Talwandi Sabo.
This is election time and every issue is unnecessarily being raked up for the sake of publicity. The Sikh Gurus are our torch - bearers and will remain so always.”
SGPC ASKS RAMDEV TO TENDER APOLOGY
AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has slammed yoga guru Ramdev for allegedly showing disrespect to Guru Gobind Singh by placing the Guru’s photo near his feet during a yoga camp at Talwandi Sabo three years ago.
In a statement issued here on Monday, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has asked the yoga guru to tender an apolo g y to t he Sikh ‘quam’ (community) for this act.
“If a person like you does not know what respect and reverence is to be shown to a photo g raph or por trait of a guru or a saint, then what type of ‘yoga gyan’ are you going to impart to others,” he questioned Ramdev.
Saying that Ramdev, despite being a well-known yoga gur u, had always remained controversial, Makkar sought to convey to him that while Sikhs respected all religions, they would not tolerate insults to their gurus or places of worship.
“Sikhs the world over are angry, so it is better that you tender an apology immediately,” Makkar advised him.
Meanwhile, there was no reaction from the Akal Takht so far despite the matter having come to jathedar Gurbachan Singh’s notice.
In Anandpur Sahib, Takht Sri Kesg arh Sahib Jathedar Giani Mal Singh also criticised Ramdev for alle g edly showing disrespect to Guru Gobind Singh.
