Badal hints he might quit as CM to lead anti-bifurcation agitation
The tug of war between Haryana and Punjab on a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for Haryana continued on Friday with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal maintaining that the Centre has assured him of an early resolution to the vexatious issue. In case the issue is not resolved, Badal hinted that he might step down from the Chief Minister’s post to lead an agitation against the bifurcation of the SGPC.
“I am in constant touch with the Centre through their emissary Shanta Kumar, who has assured of an early resolution to this issue,” Badal told reporters after a function in Mohali. Talking about the proposed morcha, Badal said though his party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is not fond of organising agitations, it would not allow “anti-Sikh forces” to weaken their institutions.
In order to chalk out a strategy against the decision of the Haryana Government, the party has convened a World Sikh Conference at Amritsar on July 27. Sikhs from different parts of the country and world are expected to converge in Amritsar to decide on the future course of action on the Haryana Government’s recent move to set up a Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. To make matters worse, Sikhs in Haryana too have called a meeting on July 28 in Karnal. Haryana has notified the ad-hoc committee for the management of gurdwaras in the State even though the Amritsar-based SGPC has sent its men and asked them not to relinquish control of these gurdwaras.
Badal reiterated that a separate committee for management of gurdwaras in Haryana would never become a reality and it was a deliberate attempt to divide the Sikhs and dilute their institutions. The Haryana Government, at the same time, has refused to go back on its plan to form a separate gurdwara committee saying that those against it can move court.
Meanwhile, Fatehgarh Sahib-based advocate Ram Singh Somal has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014. Somal, in his petition expected to come up for hearing before a Division Bench on Monday, stated that the Haryana legislative Assembly was not competent to enact the Act. At the same time, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to discuss the issue.
Sources said the Centre may send a Presidential reference to seek the Supreme Court’s advise on the matter. The Union law Ministry has told the Home Ministry that it has executive powers under Article 256 to give directions to a State in such cases. “The Government of Haryana has taken a decision which will basically harm national integration. It is an attack on India’s unity,” Sukhbir Badal told reporters here after taking up the issue with Rajnath and Jaitley.
“They (Haryana) have challenged the authority of the Government of India; they have violated every article, every word of the Constitution... They have done something which is unimaginable in the history of this country,” he added. Haryana has brushed aside the Centre’s directive calling for the annulment of the Act, saying it has every right to enact a law and the Haryana Gurdwara Act has been passed under its legislative powers. It has instead asked the Centre to withdraw its letter.
Further slamming the Haryana Government, Sukhbir Badal’s wife and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said: “No party has the right to break the Constitution for their political gains. We have raised the issue with the Centre. It is up to the Centre now to ensure that there is no constitutional breakdown.”
She said it was “unfortunate” that a constitutional crisis has been created by Haryana which has led to a situation where clashes are feared between Sikhs in the two neighbouring States. “A group of people who are on their way out have created a constitutional crisis,” she said.