Visiting Dera Sacha Sauda, Candidates went against Takht edict: Jathedar

Bathinda, Punjab: Close on the heels of Rajinder Singh Sidhu denying that he had submitted an affidavit seeking cancellation of an FIR against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Balwant Singh Nandgarh, today convened a meeting of Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj. He directed the organisation to work for social causes.

“We will give a stiff competition to the dera. During the elections, political parties, forgetting Panthic matters, made a beeline for the dera to seek votes,” he said. This was in violation of the Akal Takht hukamnama, he said.“Any individual or political leader who has visited

Dera Sacha Sauda or any other dera against whom a hukamnama has been issued should not be honoured with a siropa during his/her visit to Damdama Sahib. I appeal to the other four Takhts to refrain from awarding a siropa to anyone who visits deras,” he said. Flanked by Sidhu, the complainant against the dera chief (for posing as the Tenth Guru), Nandgarh demanded that the FIR against the dera chief be given strict punishment as per the law.

On the Election Commission of India (ECI’s) banning political congregations in gurdwaras, Nandgarh said that the commission should exercise control over the deras as well. “The dera should come out openly on the issue of supporting political candidates and not just claim credit for a candidate’s victory after the declaration of poll results,” he added.

Source: TNS