Reserve five seats in J&K for Sikhs: SAD to delimitation panel

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Delimitation Commission to reserve five seats for members of the Sikh community in the union territory legislative assembly

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Delimitation Commission to reserve five seats for members of the Sikh community in the union territory legislative assembly.

Sukhbir Singh Badal (HT Photo)

Akali leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra handed over a letter written by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in this regard to delimitation commission chairman Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai in Srinagar. The SAD has urged the commission to favorably consider reserving three seats for the Sikh community in Jammu and two in Srinagar.

Badal, in his communiqué to the delimitation commission, said that several times, including at the time of the Partition of the country, promises were made to the Sikh population of J&K that counterchecks will be created in the democratic process to ensure their social and economic wellbeing. “It was even proposed that a definite number of seats will be reserved for members of the Sikh community in the J&K legislature on the pattern of that done for the Anglo Indian community in Parliament and state assemblies. Sadly, the then Congress government did not honour any of the promises made to the Sikh community post Partition,” he wrote.