Jammu;13 May: Sikh Progressive Front convened an Emergent meeting under the chairmanship of its President and Social Activist S Balvinder Singh in which they expressed resentment and surprise over the recent Notification issued by by Divisional Commissioner as returning officer for Gurudwara Parbhandak Board Election, Jammu vide No.301/SGPB/Election/2023/327-51, dated 09.05.2023, declaring dates for conducting Election to State Gurudwara Parbhandak Board for JK UT, as this notification is in violation/breach of the order of Status quo issued by a bench of Justice Vinod Chatterji Kour of Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the case titled GPC Pulwama Vs UT of J&K and Ors Vide WP© No.344/203 dated 22.02.23 and the said status quo has not been vacated and is still in force and Court has fixed next date of hearing in the said on 12th July 2023.
Singh while elaborating the case stated that the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh ordered “status quo” as on the said Date (22.02.23) with regard to elections to Gurudwara Parbhandak Board in Kashmir Division.The petitioner (DGPC Pulwama) through its advocate had challenged the notification for election issued on 17 Feb this year by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir as ‘returning officer’ to State Gurudwara Parbhandak Board Election, Kashmir Division by virtue of which District of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian, have been allotted one seat/member and District of Baramullah and Bandipora District have been shown two seats/members, primarily on the ground that In District Bandipora there is no Sikh population nor any Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee exists there, as such, there is no representation that would partake in elections from District Bandipora.
The court after hearing the counsel said, “a prima facie case is made out for grant of ad interim relief at this stage” and finally issued status quo on 22.03.2023 with regard to elections shall be maintained .
All present in the meeting were surprised over the whole issue as how seriously JK UT administration takes the Sikh issues especially the State Gurudwara Parbandhak Board Election who don’t think it proper to get themselves updated with the present status of the status quo issued by the bench of Justice Vinod Koul Chatterji of J&K High Court dated 22.02.23
So Sikh Progressive Front urges upon the Concerned Divisional Commissioner to immediately withdraw the notification issued on 09.05.23 for conduct of State Gurudwara Parbandhak Board election and clear all doubts.
Singh further urged upon the JK UT administration related with the Gurudwara election to kindly make available Voter list in Punjabi language also as Voters list in Punjabi was not made available with the prior Notificatiion issued by Div Com Jammu dated 17.02.2023 and whenever elections are held in future.
Other members who were present in the meeting were S Manjit Singh Secretay SPF, S Rajinder Singh Vice President, S Paranjit Singh, S Janak Singh, S Iqbal Singh, S T P Singh, S Sharanjit Singh etc
