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ALMOST 16 MONTHS AFTER the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) decided to put on hold the display of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s portrait at the Central Sikh Museum in Amritsar, Punjab, no change has been reported on the matter. As per reports, the executive committee of the SGPC approved the proposal in May 2025, but the decision was put on hold just 10 days later, on May 23, 2025.

Cut to September 28, 2026, the decision to display the late Manmohan Singh's portrait at the museum is still on hold after some groups raised objections. ThePrint reported that the matter was once again brought to light by former Punjab bureaucrat K. B. S. Sidhu on September 26, 2026.

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The decision of SGPC, often referred to as the ‘mini parliament of the Sikhs,’ to honour Manmohan Singh by displaying his portrait at the said museum was celebrated when it was announced. However, the decision to put the installation of the portrait on hold was not well received by many people. 

Manmohan Singh was a veteran politician and economist who served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. Dr Singh passed away on December 26, 2024, at the age of 92 in New Delhi, India. The decision to put the installation of his portrait on hold came after Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, raised an objection.

Why Did Balwant Singh Rajoana Object to Manmohan Singh’s Portrait Installation?

Balwant Singh Rajoana had objected to the SGPC’s decision shortly after its announcement on May 14, 2025. In a letter addressed to SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, Rajoana expressed his dissent over the decision, calling it “unacceptable” and “inappropriate.” He wrote, “Dr Manmohan Singh represented a political party, which I hold responsible for atrocities against Sikhs. The Congress party, under which Manmohan Singh served as Prime Minister, is responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.”

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Citing this as the reason, Rajoana further added, “Installing his portrait in a museum that represents Sikh martyrdom and pride is inappropriate and unacceptable.” Rajoana, who is currently in Patiala jail, had asked the SGPC to re-evaluate its decision to install Manmohan Singh’s portrait and accused the Congress of allegedly protecting those behind the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. “There is no justification for Dr Manmohan Singh’s portrait in a Sikh museum,” Rajoana wrote in his letter to the SGPC president. 

The SGPC later decided to put its decision on hold following the objections, which were not well received by several groups. K.B.S Sidhu further recalled that, along with Rajoana, the Dal Khalsa also objected to the decision, leaving the matter in limbo for months. Sidhu told ThePrint, “Sixteen months on, the committee has neither reaffirmed its decision nor withdrawn it.” 

Dr Manmohan Singh was India’s first and only Sikh Prime Minister, who is often remembered for his calm demeanour. Singh holds a first-class honours degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge, UK, along with a DPhil in Economics from Nuffield College, Oxford University. He was also the fourth-longest-serving Prime Minister of India, after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi. 

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(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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