6 Akali DSGMC members join Dhindsa group
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 26
In the run-up to the elections of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), six elected members of the executive committee of the DSGMC led by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have joined the SS Dhinda-led faction.
The six, who were part of the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD, joined the Dhindsa-led splinter group at a press conference in the national capital on Saturday.
Dhindsa, a Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister, broke away from the Akali Dal and had promised to restore the “marayada” ( honour) of the party and religious heads like the Akal Takht.
The six members who joined Dhindsa on Saturday include Haramjit Singh, a SAD worker and office-bearer for decades.
Within the group of six, five of the rebels have formed the “Gurdwara Sudhar Parabandh Front”, which now aims to contest the DSGMC poll under the guidance of Dhindsa.
Harinder Pal Singh, one of the five members of the front, said the front was only for contesting the DSGMC elections. It had nothing to do with politics. “We are only seeking the guidance of Dhindsa and have joined him for that,” added Pal, who has also been a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
The other four members of the front are Kulwant Singh Batth, Jatinder Singh Sahney, Paramjit Singh Rana and Malkinder Singh. All of them are also part of the executive committee of the DSGMC.
The DSGMC has 46 elected members and 15 of these comprise the executive board.
“The maintenance of gurdwara is not the priority of the ruling combine. It’s more about personal politics of the party, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Manjinder Singh Sirsa,” Pal said justifying his decision to leave.
