Haryana Sikh community demand to hold HSGMC elections

A group of Haryana Sikh community members led by Didar Singh Nalvi, former vice-president of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), demanded from Haryana chief minister (CM) Nayab Singh Saini to hold HSGMC elections prior to state assembly elections.
A memorandum has been signed and sent under the banner of Sikh Samaj Sanstha, in the name of Haryana CM.This Sikh group held its meeting at Gurdwara Panjokhra Sahib in Ambala district on Sunday.
It has been said that the tenure of the government-nominated house of HSGMC has expired on May 31, 2024, the lapsed committee is still functioning and spending daily lakhs of rupees from the Guru’s golak (offering box) which is very much in knowledge of the present government. They said the government should step in and immediately stop the “ghost committee” to spend the money from Gurdwara funds.
“It is also a fact that presently there is no official body to run Gurdwara affairs, yet the old body is functioning without any extension, which is absolutely illegal”, said the memorandum.
Sikh Samaj Sanstha said the Haryana Gurdwara Election Commissioner had completed its whole exercise of holding the HSGMC elections and even had announced March 7, 2024 as election date, but it had to be postponed due to Haryana school board exams and Parliamentary elections.
“Now, as the Parliamentary elections are held, it is the duty of the government to hold Gurdwara elections immediately. So as to stall Gurdwara elections, the government of Haryana has decided to hold, first the Municipal polls and then the assembly elections, which is tantamount to denial of electoral rights to the Sikhs of Haryana to manage their holy shrines”, they said.
The Sikh group prayed that Haryana Gurdwara elections may be held before Haryana municipal polls and state assembly elections.
Didar Singh Nalvi said, “Holding the Gurdwara elections is the constitutional duty of the government and it should be done without delay like state and Parliamentary elections. The government of Haryana and Gurdwara Election Commission have already exhausted the stipulated period of 8 months.”