Congress installed objectionable content on its hoarding boards, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said.
The top gurdwara body SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Wednesday accused the Congress of distorting Sikh prayer for "political interests".
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee also lodged a complaint with the Punjab's chief electoral officer in this regard.
SGPC chief Dhami said the Congress party distorted the last lines of Sikh prayer 'Nanak Naam Charhdi Kala, Tere Bhane Sarbat Da Bhala' and used it as 'Punjab Di Charhdi Kala, Congress Mange Sarbat Da Bhala', for its "personal and political interests".
This last line of Sikh prayer or "ardas" roughly means that "Nanak, with your name and blessings, may everyone in the world prosper and be in peace".
The poll slogan that the Congress party has based on it roughly means that "the Congress, the positive spirit of Punjab, seeks everyone's welfare", an elderly Sikh man explained.
"The Congress distorted the Sikh terminology and installed the objectionable content on its hoarding boards at many places and also posted it on its Punjab Congress Twitter handle today," claimed Dhami in a SGPC statement.
Given the Punjab state assembly elections, the Congress party has committed this deplorable act, which has caused great resentment among the 'Sangat' (Sikh community), said Mr Dhami.
Dubbing this act of Congress as playing with the Sikh sentiments, Dhami said, "These words of the Sikh prayer are ingrained in the hearts of every Sikh while Congress has hurt the Sikh sentiments by changing them." Mr Dhami said, "the misuse of Sikh terminology by the Congress party has created great resentment in the Sikh community and the SGPC, the representative body of the Sikhs, is receiving objections from the Sangat." "SGPC has sent a complaint to the Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer urging him to take strict notice of this move of the Congress and get it withdrawn immediately. The election officer has also been urged to instruct the Congress to remove all its hoarding boards carrying objectionable content and ask the party to issue a public apology", said Mr Dhami.
The SGPC chief said no one has the right to use terms related to Sikh sentiments for their political and personal interests.