Says Iqbal Singh Lalpura misusing constitutional post at the behest of BJP
Amritsar: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami alleged that Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are making mischievous attempts to take control of SGPC, the representative organisation of Sikhs.
He said BJP leader Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Chairman of National Commission for Minorities (NCM), working under BJP’s policy of controlling SGPC is asking the members of Sikh body to vote against the candidate of Shiromani Akali Dal in the upcoming annual election of Sikh body on November 9. He said big temptations are being given to buy votes of SGPC members by leaders who joined BJP from different parties. He said several SGPC members have disclosed this fact to him.
During a press conference at the SGPC office in Amritsar on Friday, Harjinder Singh Dhami said the Congress party had been interfering in Sikh affairs for a long time and now, BJP is also following the same path.
He said BJP and RSS controlled office-bearers of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to make them work as per their wishes, and now efforts are being made to break SGPC through a separate Gurdwara management committee for Haryana.
“Now, going further, pressure is being put on SGPC members before SGPC’s annual elections. BJP leader Iqbal Singh Lalpura, who is Chairman of NCM, is interfering to harm the Sikh body by forgetting the dignity of his constitutional position. The Minorities Commission is responsible for protection of minorities in the country and to resolve their issues. But its chairman is acting against minorities as per policy of his party (BJP)”, said Harjinder Singh Dhami.
He said that the annual election of office-bearers of SGPC is an issue of members elected by Sangat, in which no external interference can be tolerated. “I advise Lalpura to stay in his jurisdiction and BJP people should not interfere in the election of Sikh body”, he quipped.
Meanwhile, Harjinder Singh Dhami thanking the Guru for announcing his nomination as candidate for SGPC President post also thanked Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal and entire leadership besides SGPC members.
However, today SAD spokesperson Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema had announced in the morning about the nomination of Harjinder Singh Dhami as party candidate for the post SGPC president in the annual elections of SGPC to be held on November 9 at Teja Singh Samundari Hall in the Golden Temple complex.
On this occasion, Dhami also appealed to former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur that she is highly respectable and she should walk together to strengthen the Shiromani Akali Dal and SGPC as she did earlier
