Thursday, January 24, 2013

DSGMC elections turn into clash of titans

Punjab Newsline : By Our Political Editor-

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC) elections are turning out to be the clash of titans as the senior Punjab politicians are fighting it out against each other for their supporters in Delhi. While the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Badal have directly taken on the incumbent DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna, he in turn is being supported by the Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh.

While both the Badals, alongwith most of their ministerial colleagues and officers, are camping in New Delhi for last few days, Capt Amarinder Singh and his wife and the Minister of State for External Affairs Perneet Kaur also joined the campaigning for Sarna, the Badals’ bête noir.

Capt Amarinder and Perneet Kaur addressed a few rallies in support of Sarna and his candidates today. The PCC president lashed out at the Badals, alleging that they had robbed and looted the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhik Committee in Punjab and were now eyeing the Delhi gurdwaras.

He cautioned the Sikhs of Delhi against the designs of the Akalis led by the Badals saying they had no business to interfere in Delhi affairs. He pointed out, while Punjab while they could not handle Punjab as lawlessness and law and order were at its worst and economy of bankrupt, they were dreaming of grabbing Delhi gurdwaras.

Since Congress being a secular party does not fight any religious elections, the party has however been openly supporting the Sarnas. However, Capt Amarinder made it clear that he was supporting Sarna brothers as a true Sikh. He said, as a Sikh he had every right and authority to watch the interests of the gurdwaras and save these from loot and robbery. He said, he will ensure that the Akalis led by the Badals were made to bite the dust in Delhi.

On the other hand the Akali Dal is directly fighting the elections to the DSGMC. The senior and the junior Badal are giving the Sarnas run for their money and for the first time they have faced a real challenge to their authority in Delhi Sikh politics.

The Badals at the same time seem to have taken a big gamble by getting so much involved with the Delhi elections as dethroning the Sarna brothers will not be an easy task. In case they are not able to dethrone him it will be a great setback since they have turned it into a personal battle of prestige against Sarna.

Although the DSGMC elections will not have any direct impact on the Punjab politics but it will certainly have an impact on the panthic politics in the state since Sarna has been taking lot of interest in Punjab. He has carved good influence among the urban Sikh community, which otherwise mostly identifies with the Akali Dal. If Sarna manages to win, it will mean a straight defeat to Badals at his hands as they have virtually made it a direct fight and embolden him further to take more interest in state politics. 

with thanks : Punjab Newsline : LINK

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