Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 27: Sikh Progressive Front (SPF) has demanded early elections of the District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees (DGPCs) in the Union Territory of J&K.
While addressing a press conference here today, members of the Front and various other Sikh organizations stated that after going through the judgment of High Court on two different writ petitions, the SPF after deliberations with other Sikh bodies stressed the need to hold GPC elections in J&K which have not been held since July 7, 2020. They alleged that Government is not serious about conducting these elections delaying it on one pretext or the other, including Covid pandemic.
It is pertinent to mention that elections and by-elections are held in number of States like Assam, Himachal, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and also going to hold election in five more States, particularly in the State of UP & Punjab. Especially in UP which is , the most populated State of India, mass rallies are being held in violation of the Covid protocols. So, delaying Gurudwara elections in JK UT on the pretext of corona pandemic seems an unjustified excuse.
The SPF along with other Sikh bodies stressed upon the Govt to hold elections instead of nomination. But if the atmosphere is not conducive for holding elections and it is inevitable, as per government version, to hold election then nominate the Committee of all Districts of JK UT to run the affairs of Gurudwara of JK UT under Section 63-C of J&K Gurudwara & Endowment ACT 1973 and its rules of 1975 till the elections are held.
All members present in the Press Conference urged upon the Govt to clarify the “criteria and mechanism for selection of such members”.
Prominent among those present included Balvinder Sing- prseident SPF, Manjit Singh general secretary, Makhan Singh (Retd DSP), Babu Singh president Kashmir Sikh Sangat, Sewa Singh, Paramjit Singh, Jatinder Singh chairman Cantonment Board, Sharanjit Singh, Surinder Singh and others.
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