Karnal, June 13 -- Two days after a jatha (delegation) of 94 pilgrims from Haryana returned from the Attari-Wagah border, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) unit in Haryana on Friday urged the BJP-led state government to issue a public apology to the Sikh community.

SAD's Haryana president Harkesh Singh Mohri, however, defended the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), stating that the committee fulfilled its responsibilities, but the government failed to get the necessary clearance.

The Sikh jatha was scheduled to visit Lahore and other parts of Pakistan starting June 10 for a 10-day religious pilgrimage to mark the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev.

The group was left stranded all day waiting for final approval from Indian aut...