Actor Amitabh Bachchan’s letter, written to the then jathedar of Akal Takht in November 2011, dismissing the allegations of his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots (massacre of Sikhs), has gone viral on the social media.

AMRITSAR - Actor Amitabh Bachchan’s letter, written to the then jathedar of Akal Takht in November 2011, dismissing the allegations of his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, has gone viral on the social media.

In the clarification letter, Bachchan had termed these allegations baseless. He had sent a letter on November 28, 2011, through SGPC member Gurinder Singh Bawa to the then Akal Takht jathedar. 

In the letter, he had mentioned his family’s Sikh background. He wrote that there was no doubt that his family had a long association with the Gandhi family, but could never think of the accusations levelled by some members of the Sikh community.

The ugly issues arose again recently when Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee leadership came under fire for accepting two crore rupee donation Bachchan.

Victim of the massacre Bibi Nirpreet Kaur, has approached the Akal Takht Jathedar against it, demanding summoning of DSGMC chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa to the Takht for praising someone allegedly involved in inciting the violence.

The SGPC, too, has criticised the way Sirsa had hailed Bachchan for contributing Rs 2 crore to the Covid care centre at Bhai Lakhi Shah Wanjara Hall of Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib.

SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said no donor could be a “celebrity” in Guru’s ghar. “Anyone contributing anonymously like an ordinary devotee to ‘golak’ is acceptable, but the way his (Bachchan) donation was being hailed on social media platforms was not a wise move,” she said.

However, the SGPC chief refrained from commenting over whether Sirsa should be held accountable for the ‘lapse’ or the money be returned. “I have no idea about whether the money was donated through cheque or cash to the DSGMC,” she said.

Asked about complaints reaching the Takht, she said any Sikh devotee could lodge a complaint or submission. “Only jathedar who occupies the highest Sikh temporal seat can take a call on it,” she said.

Akal Takht Secretariat officials said a letter from Bibi Nirpreet Kaur had been received via e-mail, lodging protest on the DSGMC accepting donation from Bachchan. “At present, jathedar-ji is abroad. It will be brought to his notice once he returns,” said an official.

A similar complaint was received from the All India Sikh Students Federation. Patron Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad said the Takht must take Sirsa to task. “Sirsa was well versed with the role of Bachchan in the anti-Sikh riots. How could he commit such a blunder by accepting money from him? Did Sirsa ever mention thousands of other donors the way he praised a man who had instigated mob against Sikhs?” he claimed.