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DSGMC polls: Hours after being barred, SAD gets Delhi HC nod to fight elections
In a relief to the Badals-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a specially constituted double bench of Delhi High Court on Wednesday set aside the order of the Delhi gurdwara election department director who had barred the party from contesting the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) polls scheduled for April 25
In a relief to the Badals-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a specially constituted double bench of Delhi High Court on Wednesday set aside the order of the Delhi gurdwara election department director who had barred the party from contesting the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) polls scheduled for April 25.
The director had taken the plea that only a religious party can contest the gurdwara elections and the SAD was not eligible to contest the polls as it had failed to give an undertaking that it’s a religious party.
The SAD contests the DSGMC polls on ‘bucket’ symbol, which was seized by the director and later restored with the SAD by the high court.
The director’s order coincided with the declaration of the DSGMC poll schedule by virtue of which the filing of nominations also started for the 46-member gurdwara body. The results will be declared on April 28.
“It’s the first step towards our party’s victory in the upcoming polls. The attempt by the Delhi government to interfere into Sikh religious matters has fallen flat,” said DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, adding that his party would announce the candidates tomorrow.
The SAD is controlling the DSGMC for the last two consecutive terms since 2013.
Meanwhile, former DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK, who heads JAGO party announced 14 candidates on Wednesday.
DSGMC advocate Avinash Kumar Mishra said SAD was recognised in October 1999 and given bucket symbol by the government of national capital territory by way of a gazette notification, which was subsequently followed ahead of the gurdwara polls in 2006, 2012 and 2017.
“In July 2010, the DSGMC amended rules for election of members and mandated parties to register under the Societies Registration Act but the SAD being already recognised was not required to go for fresh registration,” said the advocate.
“In 2012 an order was also pronounced by the Delhi High Court that SAD needs not register and so the party’s recognition continued. However, on March 16 this year, the department of gurdwara elections, Delhi government, issued a letter asking the SAD to implement the amendment of July 2010. The orders were stayed on March 26 by a division bench of HC,” added the lawyer.
The division bench on Wednesday again stayed the orders of director of gurdwara election department and granted the bucket symbol back to the SAD, Mishra said.
