Clamour for SGPC polls grows louder

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 21

The clamour for holding the elections to the ‘mini parliament’ of the Sikhs after the declaration of the Lok Sabha poll results has grown louder, yet again.

However, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal predicted it as a political gimmick, with a justification that the issue of legitimacy of the existing body could not be challenged beyond the court.

Former Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha HS Phoolka has shot off a fresh letter to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh requesting that after the formation of the new Central government, his priority should be to expedite the process of appointing the Chief Commissioner of gurdwaras through the Union Home Ministry for holding the fresh SGPC elections.

With a majority of legislators, including the Congress and the AAP, accusing the SAD of controlling the Sikh body and “deliberately delaying the elections”, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha had passed a resolution on February 14, authorising the CM to take up the matter with the Centre to hold the SGPC polls.

Earlier too, the issue was raised by Phoolka. He had revealed a document of the PM office that certified that the term of current SGPC house stood completed in December 2016.

Hailing Phoolka’s move, SAD (Taksali) president Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said the existing members were “illegal occupants” of the Sikh body, who were the ‘puppets’ of the Badals.

He said Parkash Singh Badal had himself acknowledged the fact, saying that ‘the real Akali Dal is the one which controls the SGPC’.

“We will be the first one to challenge this ‘Badal brigade’ in the SGPC elections. The tenure of the SGPC body is over and the polls should be scheduled after the Lok Sabha election outcome. If they (Badals) attempt to hamper it, we, along with like-minded parties, will not refrain from taking a legal course,” Brahmpura added.

Longowal, however, said if the new Central government designated the gurdwara Election Commissioner and issue the notification to hold the elections then there should be no hiccups. “We are ready for the polls. However, even if everything goes according to the norms, it won’t be possible to hold the elections in the current year as the voting list will have to be revised first,” he added.