SHIROMANI AKALI DAL OPPOSES AMENDMENT IN DELHI SIKH GURUDWARA ACT, 1971

SHIROMANI AKALI DAL OPPOSES AMENDMENT IN DELHI SIKH GURUDWARA ACT, 1971

• CONGRESS TRYING TO SCUTTLE DGMSC ELECTIONS TO KEEP SARNA BROTHERS IN ILLEGAL CONTROL OF DELHI GURUDWARAS. 
• TERMS IT DIRECT INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS OF SIKHS

Chandigarh, October 9: The Shiromani Akali Dal today strongly reacted to the cabinet decision of Shiela Dixit Government of New Delhi amending Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Act, 1971, increasing the life of the house from existing 2 years to 4 years and proposing direct election to the post of President DGMSC, terming it anti-democratic exercise to scuttle the elections that were to be held before December 31, 2012 as per court directive. The Shiromani Akali Dal also termed it as direct interference of Congress in the internal religious affairs of Sikhs and warned against playing with the Sikh sentiments.

In a statement issued here today, Shiromani Akali Dal President Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that this backdoor exercise by Congress Party indicates the fact that they are sure that Sarna brothers, moving with the tacit support of Congress party would be wiped out from the DGMSC elections and Congress wants to keep them in illegal occupation of Gurudwara body by tweaking the law. Mr. Badal said that Shiromani Akali Dal had been pleading the Union Home Ministry to hold elections to DGMSC at the earliest as Sarna brothers were shamelessly looting the offerings in the Gurudwara’s under their control by avoiding contracts against the rules. The head pointed out that there was total mismanagement in religious as well as financial affairs of Gurudwaras and Sikhs of Delhi were very pained to witness total neglect of Gurudwara properties. Mr. Badal said that elections to DGMSC were being postponed by Union Home Ministry on one plea or other and at last Delhi High Court had to intervene, that ordered Union Home Ministry to hold elections to DGMSC by 31^st December positively. He said that now realizing the fact that Sarna and party that was operating under the direct control of Congress party would be totally wiped out from the DGMSC elections, now Shiela Dixit Government has come to their rescue to keep them illegally in the power that would not be allowed by Shiromani Akali Dal.

Opposing the proposed amendment in the act, providing for direct election to the post of President, Mr. Badal said that in every democratic institution right from Panchayat, Zila Parishad, Municipal Committee, Municipal Corporation, Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha leader of the house is elected by the majority and DGMSC could not be an exception to democratic norm by proposing direct election to the post of President who may not enjoy the support of majority of members. He said that this amendment was against the democratic spirit of our constitution and Congress government would not be allowed to foist its own cronies on purely religious body of Sikhs.

Mr. Badal said that he along with Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, Members of Parliament of Shiromani Akali Dal and its NDA partners would soon call on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde urging them to stop this mischief of Shiela Dixit Government with iron hand and hold the elections before 31^st December 2012 as per Court directive. He said that Shiromani Akali Dal and its NDA partners would organize Dharna in New Delhi to expose the dubious role of Congress party in its anti-sikh campaign.

Mr. Badal said that Congress party since independence had been trying to interfere in the internal affairs of Sikhs for which people of Punjab in general and Sikhs in particular have paid very dearly due to the seditious experiments of Congress party. Mr. Badal said that fearing total decimation in Gujarat and Himachal Pardesh elections, Congress party was out to denigrate the Sikh community as per clear cut campaign drawn by its political laboratory. He said that this sudden controversy on peace memorial in Sri Harmandir Sahib, raising the boggy of return of militancy, has to be seen in the context that Congress was back again in the vote politics to create a phobia amongst the Hindu voters at the time of elections. Mr. Badal said that Sikhs do not need any certificate of patriotism from Congress party as 80% of freedom fighters who laid down their lives in the struggle for freedom were Sikhs. He said that now electorate have become very mature and they know that how Congress party kept the pot of militancy boiling for 10 long years in Punjab as a part of their electoral game and would not allow Congress party to fiddle with the internal affairs of Sikhs.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal would soon discuss this issue with the core group, political leadership including legal experts to chalk out future course of action in this regard.