Gurdwara poll panel chief upset over DC’s role

CHANDIGARH: Chief commissioner, Gurdwara Elections, Justice (retd) J S Sekhon is upset that Amritsar deputy commissioner Raminder Singh has been asked by the Centre to preside over the inaugural session of the new house of the SGPC on September 23.
Raminder Singh was indicted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for his defiance to the commission during the SGPC elections.
Sekhon said while there was no provision in the All India Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925 to appoint the deputy commissioner as chairman, the Centre had only followed the past practice which had no legal sanction.
The chief commissioner said he had brought the deputy commissioner''s misconduct to the notice of the union home ministry and also the apology tendered by him in the court after he was reprimanded for disobeying the commission''s directive during the election.
Sekhon had suggested that Bibi Jagir Kaur, who was nominated chairperson to preside over the SGPC meeting for co-option of 13 members, be asked to chair the inaugural session.
The chief commissioner has incidentally already asked the Punjab government to transfer the Amritsar deputy commissioner along with his counterpart in Gurdaspur for conducting election in three constituencies -- Tarn Taran, Dhaliwal and Gurdaspur.
However, the deputy commissioner, who will preside over the SGPC session on September 23, has a limited role to play. He will preside over the proceedings till the formal election of the new president, after which his presence will not be required.
Sekhon said that the All India Gurdwara Act was silent on this part of the proceedings, and it was not mandatory that the deputy commissioner be appointed for the purpose.