As religious programmes are being organised across Punjab during Shaheedi Week, attempting to politicise the issue is highly unfortunate. Responding to questions raised by the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, regarding the naming of the martyrdom day of the Sahibzadas, BJP Punjab spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal clarified that the recommendation to name the Sahibzadas’ martyrdom day as “Bal Diwas” was made by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
Baliawal stated that in 2018, as many as 60 BJP Members of Parliament had written to the Prime Minister, seeking due recognition for the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas. The proposal to commemorate the day as “Bal Diwas” was formally put forward by Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and then Delhi Committee president Manjit Singh G.K., for which a seminar was organised. The then Union Minister Smriti Irani and several MPs who supported the demand were present at the seminar and were also honoured.
In a tweet, Pritpal Singh Baliawal respectfully requested the Jathedar Sahib to summon the Akali leaders, the former Delhi Committee president, and associated intellectuals, and seek clarification from them on why the name “Bal Diwas” was proposed—an issue over which questions are now being raised.
Baliawal further said that after 75 years of India’s independence, from 2022 onwards, the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas has been commemorated with full devotion and dignity across the country and at Indian embassies worldwide. For this historic recognition, the entire Sikh community is grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Targeting the Congress, Baliawal pointed out that the party had opposed both the observance of the day and its naming in 2022, and continues even today to indulge in politics over the issue.
He asserted that the clear intention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party is to honour the martyrdoms of the Sahibzadas and connect the younger generation with the nation’s glorious history and sacrifices—not to fuel unnecessary controversies.
Baliawal added that the Prime Minister holds deep respect and special affection for the Sikh community. Creating religious controversies, even on days of martyrdom, amounts to an insult to these supreme sacrifices. Sikh leaders and intellectuals should rise above politics and avoid such needless disputes.
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