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Ripples in House New Delhi, July 21
He reminded Parliament about the promise made by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Sikh leader Master Tara Singh in 1959, when he said: “Any amendment to the Sikh Gurudwara Act, 1925 should be undertaken after obtaining the approval of the General Committee of the SGPC.” The Anandpur Sahib MP said the law prevented any government from interfering in the affairs of the Sikhs. “What notice is being taken by the Centre? The Law Minister is present, he should take note of this,” he said. To this, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “The Attorney General has made some observations and the rest of the matter is with the Union Home Minister.” Chandumajra said the Haryana Government had enacted a law “which violates Article 254 of the Constitution. It is a direct interference in the constitutional frame of things. The Article deals with inconsistency between laws made by Parliament and those by state legislatures. The rest of the matter is with the Union Home Minister”.Outside Parliament, Congress’ deputy leader in Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh called Haryana’s action “perfectly legal”. “In 1971, the same Akali Dal launched an agitation seeking a separate body for Sikh gurdwaras in Delhi. Haryana has also met the aspirations of its Sikh community.” He cited Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 to buttress his argument, saying the Haryana Government drew its powers from that Section. Bathinda MP and Union Minister Harsimrat Badal, who led a delegation of Akali MPs Naresh Gujral, Balwinder Bhunder, and Chandumajra to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said: “We are not going to court. Right before elections in the state, the Haryana Government has tried to divide the Sikhs. The government should be dismissed. Is Sonia Gandhi not aware as to how emotions of the Sikhs are being trampled upon?” “The Haryana Act is illegal as the state has no powers. It is for Centre to take action and protect the Sikhs,” she said adding that the SAD also sought action against Haryana Governor Jaganath Pahadia for giving assent to the Bill without referring it to the President. AAP MP from Fatehgarh Sahib Harinder Singh Khalsa defended the move by Haryana, saying: “The Sikhs of Haryana have the right to manage their own affairs. It would be ominous on part of the Centre to intervene.”
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Raising the matter during zero hour in Lok Sabha, party MP Prem Singh Chandumajra termed the passage of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) Act in the Haryana Assembly “unconstitutional and illegal”.