SAD delegation meets Gurdwara Elections Commission over bogus votes issue

While presenting the memorandum to the chief commissioner, Sukhbir Badal informed Saron that the AAP government had directed booth-level officers to register votes en masse from voter lists.
Alleging that “bogus votes” have been registered for the general elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex gurdwara body.
Alleging that “bogus votes” have been registered for the general elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex gurdwara body.(Photo | Express)
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CHANDIGARH: Alleging that “bogus votes” have been registered for the general elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex gurdwara body, a delegation from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) met the Chief Commissioner of the Gurdwara Elections Commission today.

A Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) delegation led by Working President Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former President Sukhbir Singh Badal, and SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami met Gurdwara Elections Chief Commissioner Justice (retd) S S Saron and requested him to extend the process for voter registration for the Shiromani Committee elections to March 31, besides weeding out all bogus votes.

While presenting the memorandum to the chief commissioner, Sukhbir Badal informed Saron that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had directed booth-level officers to register votes en masse from voter lists, due to which thousands of non-Sikhs had been given voting rights for the SGPC elections.

He said that, besides this, genuine votes were being deleted while bogus votes were being added as part of a conspiracy to take over control of the SGPC by hook or by crook. Badal urged the chief commissioner to issue directions for reviewing all voter lists so that bogus votes could be eliminated.

He also appealed for an extension of the period for new voter registration, saying a large number of eligible voters had still been left out of the election process. Badal also cited the example of Himachal Pradesh, where the voter list had not yet been prepared.

Later, speaking to the media about the memorandum, senior party leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema said that the SAD stood for the registration of genuine voters but condemned the AAP government for interfering in the process.

He said the situation was such that thousands of non-Sikhs, who had not applied to be registered as voters for the elections, had been given this right. He added that the delegation had also apprised the chief commissioner of the Sikh rehat maryada, under which it is compulsory to suffix “Singh” or “Kaur” with Sikh names.

"We have submitted voter lists to the Commission, which contain names in contravention of the Sikh rehat maryada," he said.

SAD Working President Balwinder Singh Bhundar said the delegation had also requested the Gurdwara Elections Commission to direct the government to ensure that rules governing voter registration were strictly adhered to.

The delegation included Hira Singh Gabhria, Amarjit Singh Chawla, and Arshdeep Singh Kler.

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