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A special Ardas (prayers) offered at Takht (Throne) Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday is being presented as a religious gesture, but its timing and political backdrop have opened a wider debate on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) evolving engagement with Sikh institutions and the Sikh community. Administrator of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board, Dr. Vijay Satbir Singh, said the special Ardas sought divine blessings for the PM’s long life, good health, and continued service to the nation. However, former general secretary of the apex Sikh management committee Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, believes that the symbolism of conducting a special Ardas for the PM at one of Sikh religion’s five Takhts cannot be viewed in isolation. She said, 'Cultivating relationships with Sikh religious institutions, especially through the Sikh Takhts, carries immense weight in Sikh politics. There is no harm in conducting Ardas for a person belonging to another faith. However, this event appears to be part of a larger outreach effort as BJP seeks to establish its own political footing in Panjab ahead of the Assembly election.' In June 2026, Sikh organizations mounted protests after the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a proposal to repeal the 70-year-old Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, and replace it with a new law. Meanwhile, BJP leader and Member of Parliament Satnam Singh Sandhu led members of Sant Samaj (sects) and Nihangs (traditional warriors) in prayers on PM Modi's birthday, marking his 25 years in public service at Gurdwara Chevein Patshahi, Amritsar. The BJP tries to woo Sikhs symbolically but does not succeed on the ground. For example, the BJP opened the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor (KSC) in 2019, closed and reopened it during the COVID pandemic, but again closed it in May 2025 after Operation Sindoor—the army action against Pakistan. Repeated requests by Sikhs to open the KSC have been ignored, including on 21 Sep when Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Eternal Throne) Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj was stopped well before the zero line on the India-Pakistan border from offering prayers to open the KSC. After being stopped, Giani Gargajj sat down in front of the Darshan Sthal (viewing point) and began reciting prayers (earlier coverage).
Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj and group praying at Dera Baba Nanak
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