CHANDIGARH: All members of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) appeared before the Haryana Sikh Judicial Commission in Chandigarh on Friday. The hearing was closely watched by the factions of committee chairman Jagdish Singh Jhinda and former chairman Baljit Singh Daduwal.
The dispute concerns the Rs. 104 crore budget passed on January 7.
Daduwal alleges lack of quorum
Baljit Singh Daduwal filed a complaint with the commission, alleging that the budget was passed without the required quorum. He claims the mandatory attendance of one-third of the members was absent.
He also alleged that Jhinda misused his position to pressure officials and members to sign documents and went door-to-door to collect signatures. Following the complaint, the Commission withheld the budget.
Jhinda claims support from 36 members
In response, Jagdish Singh Jhinda stated that he is awaiting the Commission’s decision and that he has the support of 36 out of 40 elected members. He described this as a clear majority.
Following the hearing, Jhinda will hold a meeting with his supporters at Neem Sahib Gurdwara in Kaithal district on February 24.
Meetings have been cancelled twice
The committee’s meeting scheduled for February 18th was cancelled with the consensus to reconvene after a hearing. The previous meeting, scheduled for February 10th, was also postponed. This clearly reflects the ongoing instability within the committee.
New allegation regarding fund collection
Jhinda accused Daduwal of collecting donations from the community by posing as chairman. He demanded that the funds collected in the name of service be deposited into the committee’s account, otherwise legal action will be taken.
All eyes are now on the Commission’s decision, which could impact the committee’s future functioning and leadership.