Fresh petition seeks voting rights for Sehajdhari Sikhs

No directions were issued on the petition as the Full Bench,presiding over the petition challenging the ban on voting rights to Sehajdhari Sikhs,tagged the fresh petition with the pending petitions.

The petitioner said that he does not sport turban or beard and was thus not allowed to vote in the SGPC elections despite the fact that he has faith he goes to the Gurdwara and has faith in Guru Granth Sahib.

“The notification issued by the Central government deprives a vast majority of population which goes to the Gurdwara and has faith in Guru Grant Sahib and is thus illegal” reads the petition.

He said that the Punjab Police had arrested him on April 11,1990 after terming him an extremist. The reason for his arrest,Satnam alleged,was that he used to sport a beard and did not trim his turban. He said that he was let off by the police,after remaining in detention for over a week,because he had valuable information regarding terrorists,which helped the police in “restoring peace” in Punjab.

The petitioner averred that that he has stopped sporting a turban and beard as a result of which he could not caste his vote in the SGPC elections.

Meanwhile,during the resumed hearing of the petitions challenging the ban on voting rights to Sehajdhari Sikhs in SGPC elections,senior lawyer Ashwani Chopra,counsel for Sehajdhari Sikh Federation contended that the Centre was not competent in legislating the Act and bringing an amendment thereby banning Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in SGPC elections.

As directed by the Full Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant,Justice M Jeyapaul and Justice M M S Bedi,the Central government on Monday brought a copy of the original notification dated October 8,2003 whereby it had banned Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in SGPC elections. The arguments will proceed on Tuesday.

HC questions UT,two states on toll tax on incomplete bridges.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday asked the Chandigarh and states of Punjab and Haryana asked why the respective administrations were charging toll tax despite the bridges and culverts being incomplete on the Ambala-Panipat national highways.

During the resumed hearing of a contempt petition seeking action against the union territory and the two states for non implementation of guidelines issued by the High Court in 1998,a lawyer said that as per information obtained by him,220 bridges and culverts were incomplete on the Ambala Panipat highway. The states cannot charge toll tax from the commuters for the incomplete infrastructure,he argued.