Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday wrote a letter to Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, demanding that the Government of India should file a review petition against the Supreme Court judgment upholding validity of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014.
In his letter to the Home Minister, SGPC President said that the right to make any amendment in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, with recommendations of SGPC, is only with the Government of India, according to which, the state governments cannot make any interference in this Act of 1925. He said the Act passed by the Haryana government for establishing a separate Gurdwara management for the state is unconstitutional and its validity should be cancelled immediately.
He demanded that the Government of India should file a review petition and should immediately pass an ordinance in the Parliament to undo the effects of HSGMC, Act, 2014. He said that the SGPC came into existence before independence after great sacrifices and with its foundation, the path for India’s independence was rooted. Any act of breaking this constitutional organisation will not be accepted at any cost.
Notably, SGPC in its executive committee meeting on September 23, 2022, at Chandigarh has also decided to file a review petition against the Supreme Court judgment (related to HSGMC Act, 2014) dated September 20, 2022.
He said that the Supreme Court’s validation of the HSGMC Act, 2014, has affected the SGPC greatly and with this judgment, Haryana Sikhs have been separated from the central Sikh body. He said that with this decision, the Sikh community is feeling divided and it is directly looking at biased and politically motivated judgment.
Meanwhile, he has termed the support to HSGMC Act by some Sikh leaders of Haryana and those related to BJP as creating divisions among the Sikh community.
He said a BJP leader sitting on a constitutional post is advocating for the All India Sikh Gurdwaras Act, while he is silent on direct interference in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, by establishing a separate Haryana Gurdwara Committee. He said it is a dual policy, which is being adopted deliberately to create doubts in the community.
SGPC President questioned whether these leaders can answer that a state government can make any amendment or interfere in the jurisdiction of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925? He said the SGPC is also in favour of the All India Sikh Gurdwaras Act, but it can never accept that jurisdiction of SGPC, established after great sacrifices, is affected.
