AMRITSAR, May 24 — The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has deferred the installation of a portrait of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the Central Sikh Museum in the Golden Temple complex, following opposition from radical Sikh groups.
The SGPC had earlier decided to honour the first turbaned Sikh Prime Minister at its May 13 executive meeting. However, backlash from hardline factions, who blame the Congress party—to which Singh belonged—for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Operation Blue Star, has put the plan on hold.
SGPC secretary Partap Singh said the decision was postponed “for the time being” after SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami received objections from various quarters. “This will be reviewed in the next executive meeting. The SGPC respects community sentiments and believes in consensus,” he stated.
Dr Singh’s grandson, Randeep Singh Kohli, expressed disappointment at the suspension. “We don’t understand the religio-political dynamics behind the decision. His achievements inspire youth, and we were happy when SGPC first announced the move,” he said.
Opposition came from figures such as Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, who called for a review citing the Congress party’s alleged role in historic Sikh tragedies. Dal Khalsa, a radical Sikh outfit, also criticized the SGPC’s original move.
The SGPC’s final decision will be taken in an upcoming review, but the deferral underscores ongoing tensions between recognition of individual legacy and historical wounds within the Sikh community.
