Cong against depriving them of voting right
Saturday, 12/03/2016
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CHANDIGARH: The Congress on Friday opposed the Union home ministry’s move to debar Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) polls.
Proposed by the home ministry, the Union cabinet on Thursday gave its nod for an amendment in the SikhGu rd waras Act 1925 in Parliament to debar Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in the SGPC elections.
The amendment was sought by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
“Why exclude a large section of Sikhs who have faith in the Guru Granth Sahib from voting to choose members of the Sikh parliament that manages gurdwaras?” questioned Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh, adding that Sikhs already were a small community and such divisions would bifurcate it further.
He alleged Akalis and Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal were playing politics on the issue.
“We have a large community of Sindhis and other such ethnic groups who believe in Sikhism, but they still are not part of the mainstream,” he added.
“Anyone who is born in a Sikh family should get the voting right,” Amarinder Singh said.
Congress’s Rajya Sabha nominee Partap Singh Bajwa said it was the game plan of Akalis to divide Sikhs for personal gains and control the SGPC.
“How can only a section of Sikhs elect the members of the Sikh parliament,” questioned Bajwa.
I MADE HANS RAJ HANS JOIN CONGRESS: CAPT
PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh told the media that he persuaded singer Hans Raj Hans to join the Congress and asked him to come back from London.
On denial of Rajya Sabha berth to the singer, Capt said it was party high command’s decision that was acceptable to all, while hinting that he did support Hans for berth in the Upper House.
