Akhara Parishad on Wednesday slammed Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu for trying to create division between the communities. He has reportedly threatened to target Mahakumbh in a video. Three Khalistani Zindabad Force terrorists were killed in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh and Punjab police in Pilibhit on Monday, following which the Maha Kumbh was postponed on key bathing dates – January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya) and February 3 (Basant Panchami). A video showing threats to disrupt surfaced on social media. The voice in this video is said to be that of Khalistan supporter Pannu.
Pannu is the leader of the banned organization Sikh for Justice and has been declared a terrorist by the Government of India. Mahant Ravindra Puri, President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad in Mahakumbh Nagar here, said, ‘If the person named Pannu comes to our Mahakumbh, he will be beaten and chased away. We have seen hundreds of such madmen.
‘Sikhs and Hindus are one, this is a divisive statement’
He said, ‘This is the fair of Mahakumbh. All Sikhs and Hindus are one. What Pannu has said to create division among us is not appropriate. It is the Sikh community that has preserved Sanatan Dharma. Akhara Parishad President said, ‘Like us, they (Sikhs) also have Naga Sadhus. Both of them are one and the same and are soldiers of Sanatan. That’s why we don’t take these crazy people too seriously.
‘We do not take such terrorists seriously’
He said that Pannu’s words should not be given much importance because he always uses such language which creates division in the country and he has always tried to attack Sanatan Dharma. Mahant Ravindra Puri said, ‘You must have seen that our three Akharas – Bada Udaasin Akhara, New Udaasin Akhara and Nirmal Akhara are from Punjab where there is a Siddha Sadhu Mahatma. That’s why we don’t take such extremists seriously.
