CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Gurmat Sidhant Parcharak Sant Samaj, led by Damdami Taksal Mehta faction Chief Giani Harnam Singh alias Dhumma, has become surrounded by a new controversy. Sant Samaj has adopted dual standards on the matter of who to support in the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Punjab. On one side it has announced that it will firmly support all ten Akali Dal (Badal) candidates, but on the other side, it has decided not to support the three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates of Punjab. By acquiring such an unapparent policy, it has triggered a crisis for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Badal (B) – BJP alliance.
Since the BJP, anti-Sikh and Hindu right wing party, is a close ally, and political partner, of SAD (B), Sant Samaj’s support to SAD (B) is paramount to supporting BJP. The coalition of head leaders of various Sikh sects, by acquiring such policy, has decided to oppose several Panthik personalities who are contesting from parties other than SAD (B), BJP, and Congress.
Giani Harnam Singh Dhumma, said, “Keeping in view the of interests of Panth and Punjab, Sant Samaj has decided to back SAD (B) in Lok Sabha elections. It will play an important role for the victory of SAD (B) candidates as in the last Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections of 2011, state assembly elections of 2012 and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections of 2013.”
He said also that Sant Samaj would appeal to Sikh voters to vote for SAD candidates in Sri Anandpur Sahib, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Khadur Sahib, Ferozpur, Faridkot, Bathinda, Patiala, Sangrur, Jalandhar, and Ludhiana constituencies. When he was asked about support to remaining three constituencies, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur, he said the position for these seats is not yet decided.
Thus Sant Samaj does not clear the air in regard of its potential support regardimg BJP candidates. Sources have said that Sant Samaj does not want to back BJP due to the evasion of its role in Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) invasion of June 1984, and its subsequent opposition to the construction of a memorial for Sikhs martyred in the attack who were led by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale .
In addition, Dhumma commented on the opening of the BJP poll office inside the memorial of Harbans Lal Khanna, saying, “He [Harbans Lal] had disrespected the model of Sri Darbar Sahib and the portrait of Guru Raam Das Ji, so he was an enemy of Sikh Panth, and that he was punished for his practices.
Questions arise to be put before Sant Samaj. “Will it raise an appeal against Bhai Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, the son of Shaheed Bhai Beant Singh who assassinated Indira Gandhi, and S. Harinder Singh of Norway who resigned in 1984 as the ambassador of India in Norway following the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib. Will it advise the Sikh voters of Ludhiana constituency to vote against Advocate HS Phoolka who has been struggling with legal battles for victims of the 1984 Sikh Genocide? Will they go against Advocate Himmat Singh Shergill who is fighting for the cases of Sikh farmers of Gujrat who are being displaced by Modi government?
