Phoolka reminds Amarinder of his announcement to meet home minister

AMRITSAR : A day after the election of new president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), senior advocate and former MLA of Aam Aadmi Party HS Phoolka has reminded chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh of his announcement of meeting home minister to ask him for the appointment of chief commissioner of Gurdwara elections so that SGPC’s elections could be conducted.
In a letter written to Amarinder on Thrusday, a copy of which was released to media, Phoolka said, “During debate in the Vidhan Sabha, you had made a statement that you will personally go and meet the union home minister asking him to appoint the chief commissioner Gurudwara elections at the earliest.But It is surprising that neither you have met the home minister on this issue nor any MP from Punjab has raised this issue in the parliament”.
Notably, the term of the present house of the SGPC expired on December 16, 2016 and on August 1, 2018 central government had appointed Justice Darshan Singh as the chief commissioner of Gurdwara elections but he didn’t join and the seat remained vacant.
“The home ministry had again called for a panel of retired judges from Punjab and Haryana high court. Punjab Vidhan Sabha also passed a resolution moved by me to empress upon the Central government to fill the vacancy of the chief commissioner of Gurudwara elections at the earliest and hold the elections of SGPC soon”, said Phoolka.
He said it had been over nine months since Amarinder had made the statement but till today he had not met the home minister on the issue.
"The proper management of the SGPC is important not only for the Sikhs but for the whole Punjab. The total silence of the Punjab government on this issue is very unfortunate", he observed.
He alleged that it was high handedness of the Central government for not holding the elections of SGPC and by remaining silent Punjab government had also become party to the injustice to the Sikhs. Eom