According to The Tribune, the definition of Sehajdhari Sikh has no religious sanction as far as the fundamental tenets of the religion are concerned. This nomenclature was added to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 under the circumstances prevailing then.
Maintaining that the SAD government was using religion for political gains, Bhagwant Mann (AAP) said, Their seats are diminishing and so they are trying to misuse it.
Participating in the discussion, MP Ravneet Bittu said in view of the amendments, the Sikh Gurdwaras Act should be renamed as Badal Gurdwaras Act. He said the Sikh population in the country was 1.75 crore and the amendment will take away voting rights of 70 lakh Sikhs.
"SGPC office-bearers and members have been demanding that those who are not Sikhs should not be given the voting rights (in elections to elect members of the board and committees constituted under the 1925 act). The SPGC general assembly in 2001 passed a resolution on the issue," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha after the debate involving Akali Dal, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party members.
During the discussion, acrimonious scenes were repeatedly witnessed as Akali members, led by Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, exchanged heated words with Congress and AAP members.
"This is a bill about the Sikhs," she said, adding: "It is for the Sikhs to decide who should vote for their gurdwaras and who should not. If anybody has an objection, I do not think non-Sikhs are in a position that they should decide who is a Sikh and who is not."
