NEW DELHI, India—Exposing anti-Panthik activities of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), its senior leader, and member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Gurlad Singh Kahlon has resigned from the party. He disclosed the fact that the party was indulging in exploiting gurdwara resources for political gains. Gurlad Singh’s resignation letter has been accepted by the party’s Delhi unit.
Gurlad Singh said the party’s dual standards were apparent during the recent elections. While the SAD (B) leadership criticized Congress candidate Capt Amarindar Singh for giving a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler, the foremost accused in the 1984 Sikh genocide case, it remained silent when a Punjab minister distorted Gurbani while seeking votes for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Arun Jaitley.
He pointed out that he witnessed the misuse of the gurdwara funds (golak) when a memorial was being constructed on the premises of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. “In an advertisements issued for the inauguration of the memorial, the names of BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, and Sushma Swaraj were also published even though payment for the advertisements was made from the Gurdwara fund,” Gurlad Singh said.
He expressed the stark reality that gurdwara resources were also used in the Delhi Assembly, and Lok Sabha elections. During the Assembly poll, the sarais (housing) at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, Bangla Sahib, and Shees Ganj Sahib, were used for political purposes. Also, gurdwara and school employees were directed to do election work.
“The DSGMC is being run as a private organization by the party leaders, and posts have been created to accommodate SAD (B) leaders,” Gurlad Singh added.
