The Global Sikh Council (GSC), a confederation of national level Sikh organisations worldwide, has vehemently denounced the proposed amendments to the Takhat Sri Hazur Abchal Nagar Sahib Board Nanded Act, 1956, by the BJP-led Maharashtra Government and warned that such unilateral decisions of the state government, spearheaded by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, constitutes a gross violation of Sikh Gurdwara affairs and would not be tolerated by the Sikh Qaum.
In a resolute press statement, Lady Singh, Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur, OBE, President of the GSC, highlighted the consistent disregard shown by the BJP-led dispensation in Maharashtra towards Sikh sentiments. The amendments to this act have been made simply to seize control over the management of the fifth temporal seat of the Sikhs in the Southern states, she said.
"Previously, the BJP had undermined the democratic election process to appoint the president of the Nanded Sahib board and amended section 11 of the legislation to install board presidents of its own choosing. Now, the current BJP rulers seek to restrict the number of nominated members from Sikh organizations on the board and increase the number of government-nominated members—a blatant power grab over Sikh places of worship," said Dr Kanwaljit Kaur.
Issuing a rallying voice to Sikhs worldwide to vehemently oppose the BJP's relentless assault on Sikh institutions through democratic ways, Lady Singh condemned the saffron party's failure to engage in meaningful consultations with the Sikh leaders and its established institutions before making amendments to the 67-year-old Nanded Act. The GSC in its letter has urgently appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to retract these unwarranted, unethical, illegal, and unconstitutional amendments in the act without delay.