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Akalis stall proceedings over SGPC polls

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 24. The Shiromani Akali Dal today stalled the proceedings of the Punjab Assembly to protest what it termed as direct interference by the State Government in the conduct of the elections to the general house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). It has announced its plan to meet the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and seek his intervention to ensure free and fair polls.

The trouble began when the Leader of the Opposition, Parkash Singh Badal, rose to interrupt the debate on the budget in the morning session. He brought up that the administration in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts was acting in partisan manner as the Deputy Commissioners there had refused to allot symbols to at least three party candidates despite their candidatures being cleared by the Gurdwara Election Commission (GEC). He wanted the State Government to give a statement in the House. At this the Deputy Speaker, Bir Devinder Singh, who was in the Chair, said that discussing the election process of the SGPC was beyond the jurisdiction of the House. Following this the Akalis, led by the former Minister, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, trooped into the well of the House raising slogans against the State Government. When attempts to assuage the Akali members failed, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House for half an hour.

While the members of the treasury benches went out, the Akalis kept squatting in the well. Akali legislator, Manpreet Singh, who is also a nephew of Mr. Badal, was seen performing push-ups. When the House assembled again, Mr. Badal again pleaded before the Speaker, Kewal Krishan, that it was an emotional matter for the Sikh community in general and Akali party in particular. He warned that if the Amarinder Singh Government did not stop interfering, it could have dangerous consequences. He said that history stood witness that the Sikhs had never tolerated interference in their religious matters. Accepting the concern of the Akalis, the Speaker advised the Akalis to move a calling attention motion for the Friday's session. At this, Mr. Badal argued that the exercise would be futile, as the allocation of symbols had to be completed by afternoon. He said that present Government was behaving like the British colonial rulers, who had installed their `Mahants' to manage the shrines and reminded the House of the legendary Akali struggle to get the Gurdwaras liberated.

Another Akali stalwart, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, demanded a clarification from the Government as to whether the writ of the GEC would run or were the Deputy Commissioners all powerful. The Speaker adjourned the House again directing the Government to come out with a statement when the House re-assembled for the afternoon session. Akali MLAs stayed away from the lunch hosted by the Finance Minister.

In the beginning of the afternoon session, the PWD Minister, Partap Singh Bajwa, who has been given the temporary charge of Parliamentary Affairs, read out a statement, which he claimed had been prepared after consulting the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, who could not attend the proceedings due indisposition. Mr. Bajwa denied that the State Government had in any way interfered in the conduct of the SGPC elections. He said that the polls were being conducted by the Union Home Ministry, through the GEC, which had postponed the allocation of the symbols by four days. He said that the Deputy Commissioners were completely independent in this regard and assured that they would follow the statute. He advised that any aggrieved party was free to take recourse to the provisions of law. At this Mr. Badal once expressed dissatisfaction over the attitude of the Government and charged that Mr. Bajwa had been deputed by the Chief Minister to indulge in unfair means and gear the administration against Akali candidates. He asked that when the Congress was not contesting the elections, why was the State Government taking sides. At this once again the Akali members stormed the well of the House.

Meanwhile a resolution was moved by the Health Minister, which was passed without any discussion. This was followed by the Finance Minister, Lal Singh, wrapping up the debate on the budget. He announced that the rate of registration fees for women on purchase of property had been reduced from six to five pe rcent. While the Akali legislators continued to shout slogans, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day. The proceedings in the second edition for the day lasted about half an hour only.

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