Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): For the past several days, the issue related to the sacred saroops (copies) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib has remained in the spotlight. The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has now taken a U-turn on its earlier claim regarding the recovery of 169 saroops from Rasokhana Sri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Ji (Banga). On Monday, Punjab Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Harjot Bains, along with MP Malvinder Singh Kang, visited Rasokhana Sri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Ji to review the situation.
Speaking to the media, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated that a thorough inspection revealed that the complete record at Rasokhana Sri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Ji (Banga) was found to be accurate and intact, and no record had been damaged or tampered with in any manner. It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had recently claimed that 169 saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib had been found at the site.
Earlier, during an Aam Aadmi Party political conference held in Sri Muktsar Sahib, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had claimed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the case related to 328 saroops, had recovered 169 saroops from a religious place (dera) near Banga in Nawanshahr. He had further alleged that out of these, only 30 saroops were supported by records, while 139 saroops had no documentation, and the dera management failed to explain the source and procurement of these 139 saroops.
Following this statement, the management of Rasokhana Gurdwara Sri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib strongly refuted the Chief Minister’s claims, calling them baseless. Gurdwara management representative Amrik Singh Ballowal stated that the CM’s remarks were intended to divert attention from an appearance before Sri Akal Takht Sahib. He clarified that out of the 169 saroops, 107 were published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). He further emphasized that Raja Sahib Ji had always guided the sangat towards the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Between 1978 and 2012, a total of 79 saroops were published.
Additionally, the management informed that 30 old and worn-out saroops were duly deposited at Goindwal Sahib. They claimed to possess complete records related to the 2014 printing as well. Raising questions over the functioning of the SIT, the management alleged that SIT members visited the premises for several consecutive days and were provided with all the necessary records. However, they expressed disappointment, stating that the SIT members made contradictory statements at different places.
