India slammed Pakistan’s
decision to transfer Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara’s management from a Sikh body to
a separate trust and called it “highly condemnable” as it goes against
the religious sentiments of the Sikh community.

The Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) on Thursday issued a statement saying the Sikh community has
expressed grave concern over the transfer of Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara’s management
from Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee to the Evacuee Trust Property Board, a
non-Sikh body.

“We
have seen reports about Pakistan transferring the management and maintenance of
the Holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib away from the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara
Prabhandhak Committee (PSGPC), a body run by the minority Sikh Community, to
the administrative control of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, a non-Sikh
body,” said a statement by MEA as per PTI.

“The statement further
added, “Such actions only expose the reality of the Pakistani government
and its leadership’s tall claims of preserving and protecting the rights and the welfare of the religious minority communities” quoted PTI.

“Pakistan is called
upon to reverse its arbitrary decision to deprive the Sikh minority community
its right to manage affairs of the Holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib” it
said.

Meanwhile, PSGPC
president, Gobind Singh Longowal articulated that a letter will be given to
Pakistan Ambassador urging the government to scrap the decision and give back Kartarpur
Sahib’s control to Sikh community for they understand community’s value the
best.

“I
feel that only PSGPC can manage Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib as they understand
dignity & culture of that place. I request Pak govt to take back its
decision. DSGMC President Manjinder Singh Sirsa will meet Pak Ambassador &
hand him our letter” ANI quoted Longowal saying.

India and Pakistan threw
open a corridor linking Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India with Gurdwara
Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, in a historic people-to-people initiative in
November last year.

The corridor is closed since March in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.