The Election Commission's (ECI) move to prevent political conferences during Hola-Mohalla and Baisakhi in Punjab has not gone down well with the Sikhs abroad. The American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC) on Wednesday termed the move as "anti-Sikh".
"As per Sikh traditions of Miri-Piri, such conferences are held to put up the political agenda before the public, and such a ban is against 'Panthic' conventions. The Commission should have restricted its role to ensuring free and fair elections only," stated AGPC president Jaswant Singh Hothi and co-odinator Pritpal Singh in a press statement. They maintained that the ECI was "surpassing its authority by interfering in Sikh religious affairs". There already was a conspiracy going on to dilute the 'Panthic' and Sikh conventions and traditions, and this move was also in the same direction, stated the AGPC. It also added that it was unfortunate that the SAD, which considers itself a "Panthic party", had accepted the ECI guidelines.
They said that no religious leader had spoken against the ECI's ban on conferences, and added that it was unfortunate.