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SC stays proceedings against SAD in dual constitution case
The Punjab and Haryana high court had dismissed a plea of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, his father and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and party’s senior vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema that the case filed against them in 2019
Hoshiarpur: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday stayed proceedings in a Hoshiarpur court against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership in a case of alleged forgery and cheating filed by local activist Balwant Singh Khera.
The Punjab and Haryana high court had dismissed a plea of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, his father and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and party’s senior vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema that the case filed against them in 2019 under Sections 420, 465, 466, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code be quashed. The party had challenged the high court’s orders in the apex court.
In his complaint to the additional chief judicial magistrate, Khera had alleged that the SAD had committed and offence by submitting two different constitutions; one with the Gurdwara Election Commission (GEC) wherein it claimed to be a religious party and the other with the Election Commission of India (ECI), by giving a declaration that it adhered to principles of secularism, to seek recognition as a political party.
A Supreme Court bench comprising justice S Abdul Nazeer and justice V Ramasubramanian stayed the proceedings in the Hoshiarpur court and issued notice to the respondents.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, who represents the SAD in the case, confirmed that the proceedings had been stayed.
The SAD counsels argued before the court that being religious did not run contrary to the principles of secularism and merely because a political outfit contested elections to a gurdwara committee did not mean it was not secular.
Dhami welcomed the court’s decision while Khera said it was just a step in the ongoing battle against the “forgery”.
“The court has just stayed the proceedings. It is not the end of the matter. We will continue to fight against SAD’s fraud,” he said.
