Amritsar, Feb 25: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Wednesday reprimanded approximately 20 employees for failing to adhere to the prescribed dress code during an official meeting. The staff members, including various managers and accountants, were seen wearing western-style clothing such as jeans, coats, and shirts instead of the traditional attire required by the institution.
As a disciplinary measure, President Dhami directed the concerned employees to deposit ₹2,100 each into the Guru’s golak. The SGPC has maintained a long-standing policy requiring staff to wear kurta-pyjamas during duty hours to preserve the spiritual atmosphere of Sikh shrines and ensure staff are easily identifiable to devotees.
The meeting involved personnel from gurdwaras governed under Section 85 of the Sikh Gurdwara Act. These administrative units were recently reassigned to additional secretary Gurinder Singh Mathrewal on February 13, following a reshuffle in the wake of a land-related controversy in Mohali.
“The SGPC has been issuing directions to its employees to wear kurta-pyjama during duty hours in keeping with the spiritual ambience,” an official stated.
The administrative changes follow a criminal case registered on February 9 regarding the alleged sale of land belonging to Gurdwara Amb Sahib. The Mohali police have booked seven individuals, including a gurdwara manager, for criminal conspiracy and forgery.
The land deal has drawn sharp criticism from Giani Harpreet Singh, president of SAD (Punar Surjit). He asserted that the SGPC leadership appeared to be shielding senior officials and questioned why decisions were being made before the conclusion of the police probe. He further declared that the haste in labeling signatures as forged raised significant suspicions regarding a potential cover-up.
