SGPC pays homage to Indira Gandhi killer Beant Singh

Published October 31, 2012 | 12:15 pm

SAANJ NEWS

Beant Singh bodyguardAmritsar: While the Congress party was busy paying homage to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 28th death anniversary today, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee paid homage to one of Indira’s assassin Beant Singh and performed Bhog of Akhand Path in his memory.

It may be recalled, on 31st October, 1984, Beant Singh, an Inspector with Delhi police and bodyguard of Indira Gandhi, along with another bodyguard Satwant Singh had assassinated the then PM at her residence.The attack on Indira Gandhi was in retaliation to the army action on the holiest Sikh shrine Golden Temple in 1984 (Operation Bluestar),that was said to be handiwork of Indira.

Beant Singh was, however, immediately shot dead in a gunfire while Satwant Singh and another conspirator Kehar Singh were hanged to death on 6th January 1989.Their death anniversary, too, is observed in the Golden Temple by the SGPC.

To commemorate the occasion,Satwant Singh’s brother Waryam Singh was bestowed upon a siropa by the SGPC officials.

The SGPC also performed the bhog of akhand path in Beant’s memory in a room adjacent to the Akal Takht. The ceremony has been an annual feature since 1985, when the SGPC observed the first death anniversary of the assassin, who was declared a ‘quami shaheed’ (martyr of the Sikh community) by the Akal Takht.

However, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh , SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and Akali leaders controlling the SGPC stayed away from the ceremony.

Posted by on October 31, 2012. Filed under PUNJAB. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry