The Supreme Court told the Sikkim Government on Wednesday to maintain “status quo” at the state’s historic Gurdwara Gurudongmare, after a petition asked for a court direction to prevent the state government from renovating the religious structure.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra disposed of the petition after the state government’s counsel said that a similar petition was pending before the high court. The lower court will hear the case on September 13.
The Supreme Court then asked the petitioner to approach the high court, but ordered status quo until the case was heard.
"We permit the applicant to be impleaded before the high court. Be it noted, we have not expressed any opinion on the merits of the matter, the high court is free to decide the same in accordance with the law," the Bench, which also had justices Amitava Roy and AM Khanwilkar, said.
The petitioner, Amritpal Singh Khalsa, approached the Supreme Court claiming that the state government had illegally removed the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, from the site with an intention of demolishing the gurdwara under the pretext of renovation and asked for advance notice for any renovation to be carried out.
The Bench asked the petitioner on Tuesday to serve a copy of the petition to the standing counsel of the state.
The petitioner claimed that several historic books and documents that indicated that the gurdwara was very significant to Sikhism: the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak, had gone to Gurdwara Gurudongmar.
