Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Kirpal Singh Badungar today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not violate Sikh ’rehat maryada’ (religious code of conduct) by wearing a cap during his recent visit to Golden Temple.
After the Prime Minister visited the Golden Temple wearing a cap instead of covering his head with a piece of cloth, several people on social media alleged he had violated Sikh ’maryada’
Modi, accompanied by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, visited the holiest of the Sikh shrines on December 3 during the Heart of Asia conference at Amritsar. Both wore caps to cover their heads during their visit.
Badungar said it is observed that Prime Minister being a Hindu has covered his head with cap and he is not Sikh so he did not violate Sikh ‘maryada’
Many Hindus and people from other community pay obeisance at Gurdwaras wearing caps or covering their head with a ’rumala’ (piece of cloth) but Sikhs are not allowed to enter the Gurdwaras wearing a cap and if they do so, it is violation of ‘maryada’, he said.
He said Sikh ‘Rahat maryada’ is only for Sikhs not for other community people.
He said every community has separate maryada. When Queen Elizabeth visited Golden Temple while wearing hat at that time late Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra was SGPC president and she was accorded a red carpet welcome, SGPC Chief said.
Badungar claimed that PM Modi has full faith in Sikhism.
Badungar today presided over meeting at Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib in which Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Baba Sewa Singh Khadoor Sahib were also present.
He said after taking over SGPC president this time, during first executive meeting held last month he passed a resolution to save environment and make it green.
He said SGPC will observe March 14 as Sikh Environment Day as Gurpurab of Guru Har Rai falls on that day and Guru Hari Rai was knows as an plant and animal lover.
He said SGPC will encourage organic farming and efforts will be made to serve ‘organic’ langar .