Three in fray for HSGMC president election on Thursday

AMBALA: The stage is set for the election of president of ad hoc Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) on Thursday, when 36 members would exercise their vote right at the committee office in Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin and Nauvin at Guhla Cheeka in Kaithal district. In their campaigning, two groups of members led by former president Jagdish Singh Jhinda and former senior vice-president Didar Singh Nalvi are targetting each other in media.
The contest is between three candidates — Jasbir Singh Khalsa of Dosarka (Ambala), Baljit Singh Daduwal of Sirsa, and Swaran Singh of Ratia (Fatehabad).
HSGMC officiating president Daduwal alleged, “During his tenure as president, Jhinda Sahib did not work to propagate Sikh religion among the masses and in the community. They hardly conducted amrit sanchars (initiation of Sikhs) in Haryana.”
Khalsa also lashed out at Daduwal, saying, “He does not know anything about the struggle for the formation of HSGMC. He came from Punjab and settled down in Sirsa, Haryana, after which he involved himself in the HSGMC affairs. He wants to rule the Haryana committee. He is a respected personality and appointed as jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib by Sarbat Khalsa. He should handle one affair, either the jathedari or the HSGMC president’s post.”
Jhinda hits back, saying, “It is just the matter of HSGMC presidential post and the community leaders should not resort to mudslinging, as it sends out a a negative message.”
“Due to my health issues, we are supporting Jasbir Singh Khalsa for the president’s post, as he was one of the front leaders who fought for the body,” he added.