The management of Rasokhana Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib shrine in Majara Nau Abad, Nawanshahr district, has strongly countered Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's recent statement. Mann had linked the 169 Saroops of Guru Granth Sahib at the shrine with the "missing 328 Saroops" case. The shrine management held a press conference on Thursday to present their side of the story.
Shrine Management Presents Detailed Records
Shrine representative Amrik Singh Ballowal provided a comprehensive breakdown of the Saroops in their possession. He stated that out of the 169 Saroops, 107 were published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). This includes 79 printed between 1978 and 2012, and 28 printed between 2014 and 2015.
"The latter 28 arrived at this Gurdwara in 2019," Ballowal explained. "The remaining 62 Saroops were printed by private printing presses. These include Amritsar-based publishers Bhai Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh, and other printers based in Delhi, Amritsar, and various locations."
Direct Challenge to Chief Minister's Claims
Ballowal directly addressed Mann's statement made at AAP's Maghi conference in Muktsar. The Chief Minister had claimed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) found 169 Saroops from a shrine near Banga, with records available for only 30.
"We gave all the records pertaining to the contentious period starting from 2014," Ballowal stated. "The 30 Saroops mentioned by the CM pertained to that period. So there was no question of any Saroop with us being among the missing ones."
He further challenged the Chief Minister: "There could not be any record for the earlier period as there was no practice for it. We challenge the CM to get a similar record from 3 gurdwaras in village Satauj."
Current Status of Saroops at the Shrine
Amrik Singh provided details about the current usage of the Saroops. "On Thursday, parkash of 47 Saroops was being held in the gurdwara," he said. "This includes 42 for holding Akhand Path, four for recitation of Sukhmani Sahib and one for Nitnem."
He added that 122 Saroops were at 'Sukhasan Asthaan' (resting place). The shrine management showed these well-furnished places to the media present at the press conference.
Political Reactions and Personal Stances
Former Punjab Police SSP Kulwant Singh Heer, a leading figure in the shrine management, flanked Amrik Singh during the press conference. He mentioned that the Ishar Singh committee, formed by Akal Takht, visited the shrine in 2019 and found nothing wrong.
Soon after the CM's statement, Banga MLA Dr Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi rushed to the shrine late Wednesday night. The MLA, who won as a SAD candidate but later joined AAP, posted a video statement asserting that full 'maryada' was being followed at the shrine.
Amrik Singh made a personal revelation: "I could give up AAP membership after this episode. My primary loyalty is towards the shrine and not to a party."
Management Expresses Shock and Calls for Verification
The shrine management expressed surprise at the Chief Minister's statement. "We provided all the details to SIT and fully cooperated with them," Ballowal said. "The CM's statement came as a shock. We don't know if SIT misled the CM or the misrepresentation happened at some other level."
He announced their next step: "We would request Akal Takht jathedar and SGPC to send their teams for verification."
AAP spokespersons maintained that they wouldn't comment on the development when approached for their response.
