Click to play videoAmritsar: First an expression of regret and now a direct apology to the 10th Sikh Guru. In the tug of war between the Dera Sacha Sauda and the Sikhs clergy, there are no clear winners.
There's been a cautious reaction from the Sikh clergy to the Dera chief's apology for appearing in a newspaper ad attired as Guru Gobind Singh.
Under pressure from the Sikh community after he appeared in advertisements dressed as the 10th Sikh guru, Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh said in a statement on Sunday, "The events of the past few days are a cause of concern. We have expressed our regret earlier too, but in the interest of humanity we seek the apologies to the true spiritual leader Guru Gobind Singh.”
"We can't even think of copying him," the press release states referring to the controversy surrounding a newspaper advertisement which showed the chief of the Dera sect, Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Raheem, dressed as the 10th Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singh - and distributing amrit (holy water) to people. The standoff had resulted in large-scale violence in Punjab over the past week.
The apology came hours before the end of an Akal Takht's deadline to vacate all Deras. However, it was addressed not to the Sikh high priests or the community, but to the 10th Guru himself.
The irony was not lost on the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), which reacted cautiously.
“We welcome Dera's decision. But the final decision will be taken by the jathedars on 29th,” said SGPC Executive Member, Jasvinder Singh.
The Akal Takht, the supreme spiritual and temporal seat of Sikhs, will meet in Amritsar on May 29 to discuss the apology.
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