New Delhi:
The Centre today said it would not like to interfere in the construction of a memorial in the Golden Temple for those killed during the Operation Bluestar by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), respecting the rights of such organisations bestowed by the Constitution.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the central government was fully aware about the construction of the memorial in the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the committee that runs key Sikh shrines.
"There are certain things which certain organisations do. They enjoy certain rights and we do not want to impinge on them (
unke jo adhikar hotey hain, unke adhikar par hum sawaar nahi hona chahte hain)," he said at a press conference in Delhi.
He was replying to a question on the central government's stand on the memorial.
Mr Shinde said that due to terrorism, India has suffered a lot - both financially as well as by losing people - and therefore "one has to introspect".
"Whatever rights they (organisations like SGPC) have, they can do it. But they should understand that the country has suffered for many years. That is why, I have said people should introspect," he said.
Asked whether the Centre has no objection to the construction of the Operation Bluestar memorial, the Home Minister said "it is not a question of objection or no objection. It is a matter of rights given to the organisations by the Constitution".
"I have never said that it was right to construct the memorial. But it should be left to them. It is their institution and we cannot interfere unless somebody takes objection in a court...," he said.