Sunday, November 18, 2012

Gurdwara Act row: Sheila Dikshit dares Parkash Singh Badal to ‘leash her’

LUDHIANA: The face-off between Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit over the management of Delhi gurdwara affairs escalated on Saturday, with the latter daring Badal to "try leashing her" for her government's decision to amend the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act 1971 to allow direct election to the post of president.

A furious Badal had on Friday called up and shot off missives to PM Manmohan Singh and Delhi LG Tejendra Khanna, seeking a "leash on Dikshit-led Delhi government" and action against those who had attacked the SAD(B) leaders and workers at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib on Thursday.

Speaking exclusively to TOI on Saturday, Dikshit said, "Put me on leash if you want Mr Badal. The Cabinet has already cleared the amendment. It will be sent to the ministry of home affairs and I will personally make sure that the Act is ready by December. There shouldn't be any uncertainty and ambiguity on this".

Dikshit's visit to Ludhiana comes two days after clashes between two rival Sikh factions — Delhi unit of SAD (Badal) and Paramjit Sarna-led camp — at the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee meeting at the Rakabganj gurdwara.

The melee at the 229-year-old gurdwara near the Parliament, that ensued for 30 minutes, had left at least eight people critically injured as the groups used sticks, stones and kripans against each other. The clashes fuelled the tension simmering since October 9 when the Delhi cabinet proposed to raise the tenure of the governing council of Delhi's gurdwaras from two years to four years through the Gurdwara Act amendment (2012). The same amendment also provides for direct election to the post of DSGMC president.

In his letter, the Punjab CM had also urged the Centre "to stop Delhi government from going ahead with its dangerous move to interfere in the religious affairs of the Sikh community".

Dikshit said she had not been briefed on the contents of Badal's letter. " Mr Badal is free to write to whoever he wants. My suggestion to him is that he should not interfere in elections which are not taking place in his state," she added. She also hit out at the opposition, saying many amendments were made to the 1971 Act even by the BJP-led government. 

with thanks : Times of India : LINK

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