Friday, June 3 2005 16:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Phagwara: Former SGPC (Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee) president and a member of Political Affairs Committee of Shiromani Akali Dal Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar yesterday (Jun 2, 2005) sought intervention of Sikh High Priests, especially Akal Takht Jathedar and Head Granthi of Harmandar Sahib Amritsar, for resolving the controversy in Sikh circles about raising the memorial for Sikh "martyrs" of 'Operation Blue Star' of June, 1984.

Talking to newsmen in Phagwara, Prof Badungar said that he had met yesterday Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar Akal Takht Sahib and Singh Sahib Gurbachan Singh, Head Granthi of Harmandar Sahib, in this regard.

He claimed that the issue of raising the memorial was not new. He cited resolution No 263 adopted in the meeting of Executive committee of SGPC on February 20, 2002 during his Presidentship of SGPC. "We had decided then that befitting memorials would be raised for Sikh martyrs of two holocasts (ghallugharas) and Operation Blue Star," he asserted.

Since the memorial for Blue Star Operation martyrs was to be raised inside Golden Temple Complex, it was decided in that resolution that Sikh High Priests (Singh Sahibans) should be consulted for finalising the form and shape of the memorial, he said.

Even Sub-committees were set up then for this purpose, he remarked.