Press Trust of India Posted online: Saturday, October 07, 2006 at 1259 hours IST Updated: Saturday, October 07, 2006 at 1303 hours IST
Chandigarh, October 7: Ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh apologised to the Sikh community for ‘hurting’ their emotions by keeping his hair open in an advertisement.
Harbhajan, who was pulled up by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the apex religious body of Sikhs, said he respected emotions of the people of his community and did not do it intentionally.
"If my action has hurt the Sikh community, then I feel sorry for it. I will take note of it in future," Harbhajan said.
The SGPC on Friday demanded an apology from the spinner, saying that the religion prohibited a Sikh from keeping his hair open.
"Harbhajan Singh should apologise for appearing in the advertisement if he considers himself to be a Sikh. Our religion prohibits keeping one's hair open. We also strongly object to his appearing in the advertisement in this fashion," SGPC president Avtar Singh had said.
However, Harbhajan slammed the SGPC for taking up the issue in media.
"It's bad that the SGPC took up the issue in media. If they had any problem, they should have called me like a son and told me. But, their action was wrong," he said.
Harbhajan said he had no idea that his photo-shoot in this fashion for an advertisement would become so big an issue.
"I respect the emotions of Sikhs and I never knew it will snowball into such a big issue," he said.
SGPC head had said they would seek apology from the liquor company which had given the advertisement, also figuring other popular cricket stars Yuvraj Singh and Mahender Singh Dhoni along with the spinner.
Avtar Singh had said that Harbhajan should learn something from English spinner Monty Panesar, who despite being brought up abroad and playing for England promotes Sikhism.
However, Harbhajan said there were thousands of Sikhs who had even cut their hair and were occupying highest posts in public life, but nobody pointed fingers at them.
"They compare me with Panesar, which is wrong. Comparisons should not be made in the first place, but if they have to, why SGPC does not compare me with Yuvraj Singh and Gurdas Mann (both Sikhs who have trimmed their hair)," he said.
