Haryana government's move on gurdwara affairs finds echo in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: The controversy over Haryana government's move to set up a separate gurdwara management committee had its echo in the Lok Sabha today with the Akali Dal dubbing it as "illegal" even as the Centre said the matter was now with the Union Home Ministry.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Akali Dal leader Prem Singh Chandumajra asked the Centre to take note of the move which was "unconstitutional and illegal", saying the laid down law did not allow the government to interfere in gurdwara affairs.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said "the Attorney General has made some observations and the rest of the matter is with the Union Home Minister."

Chandumajra said the Haryana government has enacted a law "which violates Article 254 of the Constitution. It is a direct interference in the constitutional frame of things." The article deals with inconsistency between laws made by Parliament and those by the state legislatures.

"What notice is being taken by the Centre. The Law Minister is present, he should take note of this," Chandumajra said, adding the 1959 pact between Jawahar Lal Nehru and prominent Sikh leader Tara Singh prohibited any "government interference" in gurdwara matters.

As the Akali Dal member alleged that the move was intended to divide the Sikh community and took some names, Congress members were on their feet in protest and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked him to desist from taking names.

The Haryana assembly recently enacted a bill to create a separate Haryana Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, which also received the assent of the Haryana Governor.