‘Hindu bhaichara’ — Punjab’s Akali Dal lauds Ram temple pran pratishtha amid buzz of reunion with BJP

SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, SGPC & Akal Takht thank Ram Mandir trust for invite to consecration. Meanwhile, Congress’s Bajwa says he will take people to Ayodhya to seek blessings of Ram.

A video grab of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal talking to mediapersons following langar service in Amritsar Monday.

Chandigarh: While the jury is still out on a possible Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) tie-up ahead of this year’s Lok Sabha elections, the Akali Dali was all praise for Monday’s pran pratishtha ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the rituals.

In a statement issued on the eve of the ceremony, SAD president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal congratulated “our Hindu brethren and sisters” and the “entire Hindu bhaichara (brotherhood)”.

Addressing Champat Rai, secretary general of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust which manages the affairs of the Ayodhya Ram temple, Badal thanked him for an invitation to the ceremony.

“I am very grateful to you on my party’s behalf for your letter inviting me to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Pran Pratishtha Samaroh at Ayodhya. SAD has always sought inspiration and guidance from the eternal and immortal message enshrined in Shri Guru Granth Sahib. The party has always remained committed to the sacred maryada (tradition) in accordance with the sacred message and direction of this message,” he wrote.

Respected Sh Champat Rai Ji
Secretary General, SRJBTK, Ayodhya

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

I am very grateful to you on my party’s behalf for your letter inviting me to “Shri Ram Janambhoomi Pran Pratishtha” Samaroh at Ayodhya. On this auspicious occasion, we… pic.twitter.com/vliR8SnopF

— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) January 21, 2024

Although Badal skipped the ceremony in Ayodhya, he accompanied his party colleagues to a special langar organised in Amritsar to commemorate the occasion.

Speaking to the media after the langar, the SAD chief stressed that there was a need to continue with the policy of universal brotherhood among all religions, as his father, the late former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, had done.

“Sardar Prakash Singh Badal worked hard towards maintaining communal peace and harmony in the state for which he ensured that no section of society felt that they had been ignored,” he said.

On Sunday, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akal Takht also issued a joint statement thanking the Ram Mandir trust for the invite to the consecration ceremony.

Joint Punjabi & English statement of @J_SriAkalTakht & @SGPCPresident regarding invitation for consecration ceremony of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi.
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੇ ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਰਘਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਐਡਵੋਕੇਟ ਹਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਮੀ ਨੇ ਇਕ… pic.twitter.com/y936x0oJO2

— Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (@SGPCAmritsar) January 21, 2024

The Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Raghbir Singh and President of SGPC advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said in the statement: “As followers of the divine Gurbani and unique Gurmat philosophy blessed by the ten Gurus, being advocates of inclusiveness, universal communion and inter-faith harmony, we respect the beliefs of every religion”.

“In the hearts of the people of every religion there is a special reverence, determination and belief in the holy shrines of their prophets/deities…we wish that religious freedom, communal harmony, peace and universal communion prevails in the world, with which every human being is free, safe and fearless to practice and follow their religious holy beliefs for being united in the memory of religious guide,” the statement further read.

The SGPC has previously been critical of the BJP-led central government over commemorating the martyrdom of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh’s sons on 26 December every year as ‘Veer Baal Divas’.

Meanwhile, days after the Congress high command declined an invite to the Ram temple consecration, Punjab’s Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said that he and other state Congress leaders would take people from various parts of Punjab in batches to seek the blessings of Hindu deity Ram in Ayodhya in the coming days.

ਰਾਮ‌ ਜੀ ਸਾਡੇ ਸਾਰਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਨੇ 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/fBUl8wvC9o

— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) January 21, 2024

He said Ram was not exclusive to any particular set of people or political party and was universally venerated.

Participating in celebrations at a temple in Qadian in Gurdaspur district Monday, Bajwa said he prayed to Ram to ensure the continuation of brotherhood among various communities. “The day is significant because lord Ram has finally reached where he belonged,” he added.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)