Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday appealed to the Gurdwara Elections Commissioner to revise the voter list before initiating the election process to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC). Dhami cited several irregularities, including the addition of non-Sikhs in the list and not putting up pictures of voters in the voting list.

Dhami, addressing a press conference, said that the election schedule to the HSGMC has been announced in haste without holding any meeting with political parties. “No provision has been kept to register political parties for allocation of symbols for the election and that this is being seen as an attempt to deny registration to the representative body of the Sikhs — the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)…This should be corrected,” he added.

SGPC president said that perusal of few voting lists had revealed a large number of non-Sikh names who were not eligible to vote for the Gurdwara elections. “Besides, pictures of the voters have not been included in the voter list which would make it difficult to identify genuine voters and could result in malpractices,” he added.

Dhami also pointed out that only 390 booths had been earmarked in the entire State for casting of votes in the elections, which means “voters, from an average of 20 villages, will vote in one designated booth…this would inconvenience the voters greatly”.

Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said that the Gurdwara Election process in Haryana should be set in motion only after considering all the objections of the Sikh Sangat.

Also raising the issue of reconstitution of Sri Hazur Sahib Board, Dhami said that the SGPC had lodged its protest against the Maharashtra Chief Minister. “The number of nominated members in the Board has been increased from two to 12 even as the SGPC’s representation in the Board has been reduced from four to two which amounts to a government takeover of the Board — a move condemned by the entire Sikh Sangat,” said Dhami, while appealing to the Maharashtra Government to withdraw the decision immediately in keeping with the sentiments of the Sikh community.

Stating that there should not be any government interference in the religious affairs of the Sikh community which should be allowed to manage their shrines in time honoured fashion, Cheema also appealed to the Maharashtra Cabinet to withdraw its order reconstituting the HSGMC.