SGPC row: Sukhbir to lead Sikh delegation to Prez

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said he would lead a Sikh delegation to President Pranab Mukherjee to "unmask the conspiracy" allegedly hatched by Congress party to divide the Sikhs by trying to create a separate SGPC in Haryana.
In a statement here, the the Shiromani Akali Dal president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister said the Sikh delegation, which would meet the President soon, would give details of the conspiracy hatched by Congress and unequivocally demand that no one should be allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of the Sikhs.
He said the Sikh delegation would apprise the President of the "anti-Sikhs designs" of the Congress party which was allegedly earlier responsible for Operation Bluestar and the Delhi anti-Sikh riot.

Stating that nothing should be done to disturb the hard won peace in the region, the SAD president said the Congress government was trying to hand over the religious places of the Sikhs in Haryana to its agents by passing a Bill in this regard.
"This is being done by touting a demand from the Sikh community which was never made by it and undertaking a fraudulent exercise to collect representations and signatures. Since this exercise itself cannot pass the test of scrutiny, the Bill passed on its basis is also illegal," he added.
The SAD president said it was also unfortunate that the Haryana government was going in for pathetic lies that it had the authority to form a separate body to manage Sikh affairs in Haryana.

"Everyone knows that the Haryana Assembly does not have any power to implement the Act unless it is approved by the Union government as well as the President," he said.

He also announced that the Sikh community would ensure that the "fraudulent and illegal step" taken by the Haryana Assembly will never see the light of day.
"Sikhs worldwide will converge on this issue and out the Haryana government from office in the forthcoming Assembly elections," he added.
Punjab and Haryana government are at loggerheads over the move of the Haryana government on creation of a separate SGPC.