Punjab : The Sehajdhari Sikh Party (Formerly Known as Sehajdhari Sikh Federation) a registered Political Party with the Election Commission of India has decided in its General House meeting dated 9 th jan 2012 to withdraw all the candidates from the Election fray who are contesting the Legislative Elections 2012 and has unanimously resolved to extend unconditional support to Indian National Congress said Dr.P.S.Ranu National President of the Sehajdhari Sikh Party while addressing a joint Press conference with Punjab Congress Chief Capt.Amarinder Singh in Congress Bhavan at Chandigarh today.
Clarifying their stand for support to Congress Dr.Ranu said that though the Akalis had always been blaming the Congress Party for divide and rule policy but here the Akali Dal Badal connived with the BJP-RSS in 2003 and curtailed the statutory voting right of Sehajdhari Sikhs in the SGPC elections by means of an illegal notification which was quashed by the High Court last month. It’s the Badals and the BJP which has been dividing the community for vote politics not the Congress. Sehajdhari Sikhs have rescued their voting right in the SGPC after a long legal battle , but facing the defeat now the Badals are planning to amend the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 (Punjab Act) by legislating the Sehajdhari voting issue through Vidhan Sabha, thus they want to nullify the High Court Orders in a tactful manner. Hence the Sehajdhari Sikh Party has decided to support the largest party competent for Governance in the State and to keep the Badals away from the Legislative Assembly in the interest of the Sehajdhari Sikhs. The total Sikh Population of Punjab as per latest census of the Union Home Ministry 2011 is 1.74 Crore and only 55 Lakh Sikh voters were enrolled in the SGPC Electoral rolls, leaving behind 50 lakh as Minors and inelligible the balance 69 lakh Sikhs have been declared as Patits/ Sehajdharis/Non-panthiks who were not allowed to vote in the SGPC elections though being Sikhs. These 69 Lakh Sikhs, who believe in Guru Granth as their Guru and have faith in 10 Gurus and have no other religion, would certainly register/exercise their franchise and voting rights during approaching Assembly elections against ruling government who tried to take away their statutory voting rights through illegal means. The Badals who are trying to fetch votes in the name of Panth in the general elections and consider them as Non-Panthic in Gurudwara elections. It’s the need of the time for a change in the Punjab Politics as the people of Punjab has been facing the dark days of atrocities, social insecurity and corruption by the AkaliDal Badal.
The Sehajdhari Sikh Party appeals to rejects the Sanjha Morcha and PPP as they are not in a position to form the Government and Sehajdhari Sikhs feel that only such largest party should be supported which is capable of giving a complete and stable Governance. This support by the Sehajdhari Sikh Party is here by extended to the INC as an un-conditional support from the Sehajdhari Sikhs on the grounds that Maharaja Amarinder Singh had been supporting the cause of the Sehajdhari Sikhs. All the 21 candidates nominated by the Sehajdhari Sikh Party were withdrawn in the support of Congress party and were present during the Press conference.