Sikh leader Jagdish Singh Jhinda on Saturday cornered INLD leader Abhay Chautala for ‘influencing’ independents in favour of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) days after most of them joined hands to stake claim to the executive body of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) with support from Haryana Sikh Panthak Dal (HSPD).
Jhinda, the leader of Panthak Dal Jhinda group, was in Karnal to take suggestions from supporters and the community at a Sikh Sammelan at Dera Kar Sewa.
The gathering was called a day ahead of a crucial meeting called by the Gurdwara Election Commission on Feb 2, which Jhinda said has now been deferred by two weeks due to unavoidable reasons and now all the groups have more time.
After taking suggestions from all his nine elected member and senior leaders of the community, Jhinda told reporters, “Most of the attendees were in favour of not letting the opportunity go in vain and do whatever possible to take reigns of the management body. They believe that we are the real face of struggle and should try our best.”
“I would like to make an appeal to Abhay Singh Chautala that this is an election for gurdwaras. He was the one who announced during the passage of the bill (HSGMC bill) in the assembly that his government won’t allow the formation of a separate body, if chosen to power. Now, he is the one who is helping the Badals. He did everything to stop the formation of body. He helped Badals during the voting. Why is a non-Sikh party interfering in these elections?” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“I would like to make an appeal to Abhay Singh Chautala that this is an election for gurdwaras. He was the one who announced during the passage of the bill (HSGMC bill) in the assembly that his government won’t allow the formation of a separate body, if chosen to power. Now, he is the one who is helping the Badals. He did everything to stop the formation of body. He helped Badals during the voting. Why is a non-Sikh party interfering in these elections?” he said.
{{/usCountry}}On asking about Chautala’s involvement, Jhinda said, “Abhay claims that eight of the members who won in the Sirsa (region) have won due to his support and will remain with him. This is the reason they are unsure of their numbers. I think Badal-Chautala don’t have the numbers.”
He said that till the next meeting by the commission, he is confident that the community will help him take charge of the body by supporting him to attain majority.
At the moment, he claimed there are 10 members with him including one independent, while his supporters also claimed support of two more independents.
At an internal meeting in Kurukshetra on Thursday, leader of the Sikh Samaj Sanstha, Didar Singh Nalvi had also made similar accusations alluding to Chautala.
“A non-Sikh from Sirsa, whose name is known to everyone, has virtually taken control of 18 or 19 elected innocent members of HSGMC by using his political influence upon the independent members of his political citadel comprising of Sirsa, Hisar and Fatehabad… This is a political game played by him to illegally hand over the control of HSGMC to Baldev Singh Kaimpuri of Akali Dal Badal, who has been projected as its president,” Nalvi had said in a statement.