Majithia flayed for ‘insincere’ sewa
Thursday, 08/05/2014
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AMRITSAR: The high profile revenue minister, Bikram Singh Majithia, may have commenced a nd completed his ‘ tankha’ (religious punihsment) at two of the Sikh Takhts, but certain sections, including his political rivals, have criticised him for lack of ‘humility’ while performing the ‘sewa’ (voluntary service) at Takht Keshgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib.
However, the Majithia camp has rejected this criticism, saying that it was just politically motivated and that the minister went to the two Takhts not in his capacity as a minister but as a humble Sikh.
The minister’s media advisor Sarchand Singh said that it was unfortunate that some persons were ‘using’ religion to settle their political scores which they could done in the political field.
On the contrary, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) secretary, Manjit Singh Calcutta, while talking to HT here on Wednesday, said, “When you are awarded ‘tankha’, you must perfor m it with humility. But Majithia seemed to carry the ministerial tag with him to the two Takhts, which is not wrong, but still as a Sikh he could have shed aside the ‘sarkari’ tag”.
He pointed out that for mer governor and senior Akal i leader, Surjit Singh Bar nala, and former union minister and Congress leader, Buta Singh, who were both excommunicated, performed the ‘tankha’ awarded to them with a “great deal of humbleness”. Both received far severe ‘punishment’ from the Akal Takht than Majithia and yet they went about performing their respective tasks with dedication, he added.
Punjab Congress general secretary, Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli Majithia, claimed that “official patronage” was extended to the minister at the two Takhts. In this context, he pointed to the rescheduling of the ‘kirtan’ at Takht Damdama Sahib just to suit the minister.
“Had he gone as a humble Sikh, he would have spent the entire day at one Takht. He seemed to be in a hurry to finish off his task which questions his very dedication and respect for the Akal Takht which had awarded him the tankha Lalli”, Lalli Majitha said while addressing a press conference.
