Row erupts after SAD's Sarna meets Rahul on Delhi gurdwaras

Jalandhar: Alleging that Delhi gurdwaras are "under siege" and that their sanctity, integrity, and very purpose are being eroded by a clique enjoying political protection from the ruling establishment, former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Harvinder Singh Sarna on Wednesday called on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and urged him to raise the issue in Parliament.

At a press meet later in the day, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka alleged that Sarna had met Rahul for an alliance bid with Congress, and asked Sukhbir Singh Badal to issue a clarification on this. "Instead of taking the issue to Akal Takht Jathedar or asking SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal to raise the issues in Parliament, Sarna went to Rahul. The real purpose was different," he said, adding that he would write to the Jathedar for action against Sarna.


Sarna once headed the Takht Patna Sahib Management Committee and is a senior Shiromani Akali Dal functionary of Delhi. In a two-page letter to Rahul, Sarna sought his support in raising the demand for an independent audit of DSGMC finances and operations, and the formation of a non-political committee of respected Sikh figures to "restore institutional integrity".

Sarna's meeting with Rahul came amid BJP's bid to project that Rahul's jibe at MoS Ravneet Bittu was aimed at his Sikh identity.

In the letter, Sarna flagged the financial crisis faced by DSGMC-run educational institutions. Delhi Congress posted pictures of the meeting on X.

Sarna alleged that, shielded by the "nexus", individuals facing serious allegations of corruption and mismanagement have entrenched themselves within DSGMC and are operating with impunity.

"Funds donated by the Sangat are being diverted without transparent audits. Misappropriation and opaque financial practices have replaced seva and accountability. Educational institutions under DSGMC face crippling financial crises, with unpaid salaries amounting to nearly Rs 500 crore — figures acknowledged in high court proceedings. These once-thriving schools are now collapsing due to unchecked corruption," he said.

He also alleged that several individuals in leadership positions within DSGMC could not recite Gurbani, while others were under investigation by enforcement agencies.

The "lapses" represented a broader failure of institutional autonomy, manipulated by those loyal to the ruling elite, Sarna said, while urging Rahul to take note of this crisis and raise the matter in Parliament.

BJP dismissed the charges. BJP functionary Charanjit Singh Brar, who recently shifted loyalties from Akali Dal to BJP, called it "political hypocrisy", saying that SAD claims to distance itself from Congress but then a key SAD functionary of Delhi goes and meets Congress's Rahul Gandhi.