Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal Leaders Meet Gurdwara Election Chief Over Alleged Fake Votes In SGPC Polls

Chandigarh: A Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) delegation on Thursday met the chief commissioner of the Gurdwara Elections Commission, Punjab, alleging registration of large scale ``bogus votes’’ for the general elections of the apex gurdwara body – the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The delegation which was led by its SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former president Sukhbir Singh Badal and SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, also urged upon the gurdwara election commission chief commissioner justice (retd) S S Saron to ensure that bogus votes were weeded out.

While presenting a memorandum to the commission, Sukhbir Badal alleged that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab had directed booth level officers to register votes en-mass from voter lists due to which thousands of non-Sikhs had been given the voting right for the SGPC elections.

He further alleged that besides this, the genuine votes were being deleted even as bogus votes were being added as part of the conspiracy to take over control of the SGPC.

Urging the chief commissioner to issue directions for the review of all voter lists so that bogus votes could be weeded out, he also appealed for extending the time period for making new votes saying a large number of eligible voters had still been left out from the election process.

Sukhbir also gave the example of Himachal Pradesh where the voter list had also not been made till now.

Later while briefing newspersons Cheema also alleged that the situation was such that thousands of non- Sikhs who had not applied to be registered as voters for the elections had been given this right. He held that a large number of votes without the ``Singh’’ and ``Kaur’’ suffixes had been added to the voter lists.

Bhundar said the delegation had also urged the commission to direct the government to ensure rules governing registration of voters were strictly adhered to.