Centre non-committal on Sikh shrines issue

The Shiromani Akali Dal is continuing to put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi government to toe its line on Sikh politics.

However, Akali leaders were unable to convince Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to come up with a strategy to checkmate Haryana’s move to form a separate body to manage Sikh shrines.

Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujaral led a delegation of Akalis on Monday and met Rajnath who did not give any assurance on the issue. SAD sources said Rajnath told the delegation that the Haryana Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (SGPC) issue was under their consideration since Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal had brought to his notice in the previous meeting.

The BJP is in a sticky situation on the sensitive issue as, sources said, that it don’t want to be seen working proactively on the subject ahead of Assembly elections in Haryana. Unsure of how the issue would  pan out eventually, the ruling party which feels it is in a better position to face polls, is cautious and does not want to be seen antagonising Sikhs in Haryana which have more than 20 lakh votes.

Subsequent to the push from the Akali Dal,  the Union Home secretary last week wrote to the Haryana Chief Secretary and Secretary to State Governor Jagannath Pahadia arguing that the state Assembly was not competent to pass the Haryana Sikh Gurudwara (Management) Bill 2014.

The MHA had asked the governor to withdraw his consent to the bill. The legislation, however, has been already notified by the Congress state government.

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is also Akali Dal MP and daughter-in-law of Punjab CM,  described the Haryana law “unconstitutional” for she is of the view that it has to be cleared by the Centre post President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent.

“They have now made this Act and are taking charge of the gurdwaras, which is totally unconstitutional. It is shameful and surprising how the Congress’s senior leadership is silent on the issue,” Harsimrat told reporters.