₹13.5 Crore of Golak Funds Stuck — Gurbani Is Being Commercialized; Why Is the AAP Government Watching Silently? : Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad

₹13.5 Crore of Golak Funds Stuck — Gurbani Is Being Commercialized; Why Is the AAP Government Watching Silently? : Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad

Chandigarh 3 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Shiromani Akali Dal Punar-Surjit's Chief Spokesperson and Senior Vice President, Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, today presented a series of facts before the Sikh Sangat regarding the issue of Gurbani broadcasting, raising questions that, according to him, neither the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) nor the Punjab Government has answered. Peer Mohammad stated that more than ₹13.5 crore belonging to the Guru's Golak (donation fund) remains unrecovered, while those responsible continue to expand their business interests. He alleged that the private television channel PTC had been paying the SGPC an annual fee of ₹2 crore for Gurbani broadcasting until 2023. According to him, these payments were suddenly stopped thereafter, leaving over ₹6 crore, including interest, outstanding. He said the Sangat should not be misled into believing that the telecast had always been a free service, pointing out that PTC itself had been making annual payments until 2023. If the fee had been collected for years, it could not suddenly be described as voluntary service. Peer Mohammad questioned who ordered the SGPC to stop recovering the fee, claiming that neither the SGPC Executive Committee nor the General House had authorized such a decision.

He challenged SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami to produce a resolution from either the Executive Committee or the General House approving the discontinuation of fee recovery. If no such resolution exists, he said, the decision was either Dhami's personal decision or that of Sukhbir Singh Badal, and the outstanding amount, along with interest, should be deposited into the Golak personally. He added that these funds belonged to the SGPC's education fund and could have been used to educate underprivileged children. Peer Mohammad further alleged that a ₹7.5 crore recovery case against Chartered Accountant Satinder Kohli has remained pending before the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission for nearly ten years, with no recovery made. He stated that Advocate Satnam Singh Kler was appointed Chairman of the Commission on December 23, 2016, for a five-year term ending in December 2021, but continues to hold the position nearly five years after the expiry of his tenure without delivering a decision. He also noted that Advocate Kler is the father of Arshdeep Singh Kler, spokesperson and Core Committee member of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the party which controls the SGPC. Before becoming Chairman, Kler served as the SGPC's legal advisor and had also represented former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in court.

According to Peer Mohammad, the same individual who defended Saini is now heading the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission long after his term has expired. He suggested that the free Gurbani telecast, the unrecovered ₹7.5 crore, and the prolonged pendency of the case were interconnected rather than coincidental. Why Not Allow Gurbani on All Channels? Peer Mohammad questioned why the SGPC's official YouTube and Facebook feeds are freely shared worldwide by thousands of channels, while television broadcasting remains limited. He proposed that any licensed television channel willing to provide a written undertaking to strictly follow Sikh Maryada—without advertisements, tickers, or interruptions—should be allowed access to the Gurbani signal. He cited the example of Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi, where Gurbani is broadcast simultaneously on two television channels while maintaining full religious decorum, and argued that the same principle should apply to Sri Harmandir Sahib.

He further alleged that while the Punjab Assembly introduced legislation concerning Gurbani broadcasting, Gurbani was simultaneously being commercially exploited in countries such as Canada and the United States. He asked the SGPC to disclose where the overseas revenue generated from Gurbani broadcasts is accounted for and whether those earnings are deposited into the Guru's Golak or retained elsewhere. Peer Mohammad stated that the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission is constituted through a notification issued by the Punjab Government. Since the Commission's term expired in December 2021, he questioned why the AAP government, which came to power in March 2022, has not issued a fresh notification despite having more than four years to do so. He alleged that there is an "understanding" between the AAP government and the Shiromani Akali Dal on this issue, while ₹13.5 crore of Golak funds remain unrecovered.

Key Demands

The SGPC should recover the entire outstanding amount of over ₹6 crore, including interest, from PTC within 15 days. Otherwise, SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami should deposit the amount personally.

The SGPC should place before the General House all documents related to the PTC Gurbani broadcasting arrangement.

The SGPC should publish a complete account of all revenue generated from overseas Gurbani broadcasts and related content.

The Punjab Government should immediately issue a fresh notification to reconstitute the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission under the leadership of an independent retired judicial officer.

The ₹7.5 crore recovery case against Satinder Kohli should be decided within 90 days by the newly constituted Commission.

The SGPC should adopt a uniform broadcasting policy allowing every licensed Punjabi television channel that provides a written commitment to observe full Sikh Maryada to receive the Gurbani signal.

Concluding the press conference, Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad stated that the issue is not a fight against any individual but a struggle to safeguard the Guru's Golak and the rights of the Sikh Sangat. "Give a full account, open the Gurbani feed to all eligible broadcasters, and ensure justice." Also present on the occasion were Jagjit Singh Kohli (Head Office Secretary), Tejinder Singh Pannu (Media Secretary), Davinder Singh Sodhi, and Bhai Hardeep Singh Bath (Organising Secretary).