Harmeet Singh Kalka elected new DSGMC chief amid uproarious scenes

New Delhi, January 22

Harmeet Singh Kalka of the Shiromani Akali Dal was elected new president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) amid ugly scenes and controversies during the election process today.

The process to elect the managing committee and an executive council went on past midnight at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib here.

Earlier, voting was stopped after Sukhbir Singh Kalra, who is one of the 51 DSGMC elected members eligible to vote, showed his ballot after casting his ballot. Former DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK, Paramjit Singh Sarna and Harvinder Singh Sarna objected to it. They demanded the vote be declared invalid, but the same was not accepted by pro-term chairman Gurdev Singh.

Attempts to hold a poll by raising hands was not accepted as the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971, has the provision for only secret ballot.

The deadlock continued for more than 10 hours. Later in the evening, the Delhi Police reached the venue and this led to protests by the Sikh community on the social media. Manjit GK alleged the Delhi Police evicted 21 members, including him, the Sarnas and others. The remaining members cast their votes.

While 28 votes went in favour of Kalka, the vote of Jasbir Singh Jassi was ‘reserved’ in a sealed cover as he had not proved his proficiency in Punjabi language. The Act mandates an elected member of the DSGMC to be proficient in Gurmukhi. The Directorate of Gurdwara Elections conducts a written exam to check the ability of an elected member to write and read Gurmukhi.

Harinder Pal Singh, a former member of the DSGMC executive council, questioned the move to conduct such an exam after the elections to the House.

The victory of the Kalka-led group has come after an internal strife. The Akali Dal has 30 members in the House, having 51 voting members. The House has 55 members in all. Four don’t cast votes as they are nominated.

Row over showing of ballot after vote

• Committee member Sukhbir Singh Kalra stirred a row as he showed his ballot after casting vote
• A group led by Sarna brothers and Manjit Singh GK objected to the member’s move
• They demanded the vote be declared invalid, but it was not accepted by pro-term chairman
• Another controversy erupted over the vote of Jasbir Singh Jassi, who is yet to prove his proficiency in Gurmukhi