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SAD, BJP Sikh Cell at loggerheads over claims about DSGMC polls

JALANDHAR: The Delhi BJP Sikh Cell's claims that five of its leaders had been given tickets by the Akali Dal to contest the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) polls has been contradicted by the Delhi unit of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

In a statement issued on Monday, DSGMC spokesperson Parminderpal Singh said out of five names mentioned by the BJP Sikh Cell, four people said they were Akalis and were given tickets directly by the SAD. He said the BJP Sikh Cell's claim was hollow. The DSGMC also said the alliance between the SAD and the BJP was for political elections and not for contesting religious bodies' polls. When contacted, SAD Delhi president Manjit Singh GK, who is also the DSGMC chief, said the four leaders had given in writing that they were Akalis originally and were in the DSGMC for being members of the party. He said they got ticket from the Akali Dal quota only and their participation in the BJP affairs had nothing to do with the gurdwara management committee. The four who expressed loyalty to the SAD include Atma Singh Lubana, Nishan Singh, Swaran Singh Brar and Bhupinder Singh Bhullar. They, along with Delhi BJP vice-president Kulwant Singh Batth, were mentioned by the Delhi BJP Sikh Cell co-convener Kanwaljjit Singh Dhir, as members of the DSGMC from the BJP quota.

Interestingly, both sides are quiet about Batth's status in the DSGMC elections. Earlier on September 5, GK, as the SAD unit president, had issued show-cause notices to Batth and Lubana. In the notice, both were asked why had they not spoken in the BJP Sikh Cell meeting when the latter decided to contest the DSGMC election and took other decisions which were against Akali policies. "You should have told that only a Sikh party can contest the election," the show-cause notice said.

In his October 5 response to that notice, Dhir said the ongoing exchange of statements was painful and unwarranted. He said it started when the BJP Sikh Cell raised the issue that it should get due representation in the DSGMC and other Sikh affairs when it was participating in important activities. He made special reference to DSGMC general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa's statement that he would strongly oppose ticket to any BJP leaders in the gurdwara election. He also said the Sikh Cell members and leaders had actively worked to ensure victory of the SAD candidates in the DSGMC elections and it was Akali Dal that had given tickets to five members of the BJP. "The DSGMC is purely a Sikh body and participation of Akali Dal in its elections and affairs has whole lot of history behind it. We shall not tolerate any interference in religious affairs of Sikhs by other parties. For us Panthic maryada is first and political issues are secondary," GK said. Meanwhile, on Monday SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal held a meeting with those leaders/members of Akali Dal who contested Delhi assembly or municipal corporation elections on the BJP tickets. Sources revealed that these leaders were told that they would participate in the BJP events only if the SAD was invited as a party. They were told that they would not function as BJP workers but only as SAD members as they contested on the BJP symbol after getting tickets from the Akali Dal quota.