JD (Secular) urges EC to de-recognise SAD (Badal) party

Jalandhar, July 18 (UNI) Janata Dal (Secular) today urged the Election Commission of India to de-recognise the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) party.

Party's national executive member Balwant Singh Khera told media persons here today that Shiromani Akali Dal had used two different constitutions for registration with the Election Commission of India and at the same time submitted a different constitution to Gurdwara Election Commission.

Mr Khera said that no party or organistion having non-Sikhs as members could participate in an election to Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) or Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and that was the reason Shiromani Akali Dal presented one constitution to the Election Commission and a totally different one to Sikh Gurdwara Election Commissioners in Delhi and Punjab.

In response to the letter of the Election Commission dated October 13, 2004, the Shiromani Akali Dal submitted the copy of the party's constitution with latest amendments as on Nov 22, 2004.

Mr Khera said that it has been contended that the constitution filed before the Election Commission has been used to fulfill the conditions mandated in Section 29-A of the constitution but the constitution file before the Gurdwara Election Commission violates those conditions by restricting membership along religious lines.

The SAD, in its response to EC, had stated that inadvertently instead of the amended constitution, a copy of the earlier constitution as adopted by the Working Committee of the SAD on September 2, 1974 was sent to the Gurdwara Election Commission.

Mr Khera demanded that SAD should supply the copies of the resolutions passed for amending the constitution as stated by the party along with copies of the signatures of the members of the General House as well as copy of notices sent to members so as to prove that the amendments were carried out in accordance with the constitution of SAD.

UNI