BSP warns Akalis against reconversion threat to Akalis

ROOPNAGAR, Feb 7: Bahujan Samaj Party leader Nirmal Singh Suman today cautioned the Akali Dal against mass reconversion by Dalit Sikhs in case their grievances were not redressed.

Speaking to ENS, Suman demanded that the ruling Akali Dal and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandtak Committee SGPC must not discriminate against the Scheduled Castes or else they might go back to the Hindu fold Adding that the Dalits had embraced Sikhism in the hope of social justice he said, the present Akali Dal leadership had failed to deliver the goods accusing the SGPC of marginalizing the Scheduled Castes in the functioning of Gurdwaras. He said, 8220;Nobody from among the Dalits has ever been assigned managerial task. At the best, Dalits employed by the SGPC are assigned the jobs of watchmen8221;.

He further demanded that at least one Dalit Sikh should be appointed as Jathedar of the temporal seats to eradicate casteism. 8220;Even the ruling Akali Dal has not accorded due respect to Dalit Sikh leaders,8221; he said, adding, 8220;The Scheduled Caste ministers in the cabinet are like rubber stamps of the feudal Akali leaders8221;.

As a tribute to Guru Gobind Singh on the 300th year of the Khalsa Panth, Suman said, 8220;The ruling Akali Dal should fill the backlog of over 1.5 lakh reserved posts in various state government departments.