Chandigarh, Sep 6 : The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed its September 1 ruling allowing Sehajdharis (non-baptised Sikhs) to exercise franchise in the Sept 18 SGPC elections following a petition by the Centre seeking recall of the order.
The full bench of the court also issued notices to Sehajdhari Sikh Federation (SSF), SGPC, states of Punjab and Haryana and Union Territory Chandigarh on the petition of the Centre and asked them to submit their reply on September 13.
The September 1 ruling came after senior advocate Harbhagwan Singh told the court that the Centre had decided to withdraw a 2003 notification, which was challenged by SSF, preventing Sehajdhari from participating in the SGPC polls. However, a day after the court order, the government came out with a clarification that neither has it withdrawn the notification nor does it plan to take any such action, after the ruling drew angry reaction from the Shiromani Akali Dal and SGPC.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram gave a statement in Parliament that, “Neither the Ministry of Law nor the Ministry of Home Affairs had given a vakalatnama to Harbhagwan Singh. No one from the government had briefed him. In particular, he had no authority to make the statement that the notification dated October 8, 2003 would be withdrawn.”
Anmol Rattan Sidhu, Assistant Solicitor General of India submitted that on September 1 Singh made an averment which was not authorised to be made on behalf of central government, in particular with regard to notification and instructions were not given to that effect.
On the other hand Mukesh Berry, Additional Advocate General Punjab alleged that there seeemed to be “great conspiracy” of the petitioner with the central government and pleaded that the court seek an explanation from Harbhagwan Singh in this regard.
However, the bench asked him to make submissions in writing. PTI
