*Chief Election Commissioner should review process of SGPC voter registration
*Strict notice against violation of Maryada near Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib
Amritsar : The executive committee (EC) meeting of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today decided to convene a special meeting of Sikh scholars and senior lawyers in Chandigarh to discuss the next strategy under the efforts for the release of Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners).
Addressing the media after the meeting, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the SGPC is raising its voice at all levels against the violation of human rights and injustice by the government to the Sikh prisoners. Recently, a delegation of the SGPC raised the voice of 26 lakh people to the Governor of Punjab and now a meeting of Sikh scholars and senior lawyers has been called at Chandigarh on November 25, 2023, to draw up the future strategy. The future program will be announced later after considering the suggestions received during the meeting of Sikh intellects, by calling a special meeting of Sikh organizations. He also said that the SGPC delegation will also go soon to meet Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana lodged in Patiala jail.
The SGPC President said that the Sikh body has also taken notice of the absence of a firm policy regarding the ongoing voter registration process of SGPC. He said that the government is not serious about registering voters for the SGPC’s general elections, due to which very few voters have been registered so far. He said that the main reason for this is the government’s interference in this matter. He said that by passing a resolution in today’s EC meeting, the Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections was requested to issue strict instructions to the concerned officers by using his rights so that people do not face harassment.
Dhami said that the method of vote verification should be simplified so that people can submit the filled forms by collecting them in one place. Along with this, camps should also be organized to register every Sikh as a voter for the SGPC. He said that it is the duty of the government to make special efforts to motivate the voters to register, as is done during the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
He also condemned the act of alleged violation of maryada (conduct) during a program organized near Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. He said that this phenomenon is not right to act against Sikh sentiments near the Gurdwara Sahib. He said that regarding this, the SGPC is writing a letter to India’s Minister of External Affairs, and concerned Ministry of the Government of Pakistan, and the Evacuee Trust Property Board.
By passing a special resolution, the SGPC’s EC has also strongly condemned the hate propaganda against Sikhs and Sikh organizations on social media. According to Harjinder Singh Dhami, through this resolution, it has been decided to take legal action against X (formerly Twitter) regarding a fake/parody account created in the name of SGPC, to unleash hate propaganda. The SGPC President said that the image of SGPC is being tarnished through this fake/parody account and despite a complaint regarding it, social media platform X did not close the account but justified it under its policy. Now legal action will be taken against this fake account and X (Twitter).
