APSCC flays Jammu and Kashmir government, demands minority status for Sikhs

SRINAGAR: A Sikh organisation today expressed concern over "non-fulfillment" of demands that were projected by the community with the present coalition dispensation of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir.

"No progress is visible on the demands made by All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) from time to time with the people at helm in the state these days," APSCC chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement.

Raina said to the utter disappointment of the community members, provisions of National Commission of Minorities Act are yet to be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.

"During the campaign for election in 2014, PDP promised to grant the minority status to Sikhs of Jammu and Kashmir as per the guidelines of National Commission for Minorities Act. Granting of minority status as per the Act was also incorporated in the election manifesto of PDP for state elections in 2014," he said.

Raina said the members of Sikh community had great hopes from PDP that their demands, which are genuine, would be fulfilled.

He said the Sikhs were quite optimistic that their long pending problems would be solved adding that there has been disappointment for them so for.

"Sikhs extended full political support to PDP by casting their votes for PDP candidates in the assembly elections," he said, claiming several top PDP leaders won the elections after getting "full support" of the Sikh community.

Raina said more than five months have passed since formation of government in state but the cabinet led by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has not considered so for the promises made to the Sikhs.

He said that APSCC has shot a letter to the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues setting a time limit of 20 days to settle the issues confronting the Sikhs of state especially granting minority status to them.

"We cannot wait further on the issue as already enough time has been given to the government. National Conference and Congress coalition also kept us in dialogue and assurances without any concrete action. Their betrayal led the Sikh community to boycott them during the last parliamentary and assembly elections," he added.