SAD forms Sub-Committee to take views on UCC

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today formed a sub-committee to take all views on the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) into consideration and prepare a case for submission to the Law Commission.

A decision regarding this was taken at a meeting of the party’s constituency incharges’ and district presidents which was presided over by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal. The four member sub-committee consists of Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sikandar Singh Maluka and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema. The committee has been tasked with holding talks with constitutional experts, intellectuals and Sikh community leaders.

Meanwhile the meeting also passed a resolution condemning chief minister Bhagwant Mann for humiliating and ridiculing a Gursikhs beard in a Vidhan Sabha which it asserted was part of a systematic attack on the unique identity of the Khalsa panth.

The resolution also took note of the disparaging manner in which revered saints of Punjab were addressed in the assembly as well as insults meted out to ‘kirtaniyas’. It demanded that the chief minister apologize for insulting the Sikh article of faith besides calling for expunging all the disparaging remarks.

The meeting also rejected the Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill, 2023 while asserting that it was a direct interference in Sikh religious affairs. It termed the amendment made in the Bill as illegal and unconstitutional and warned the government not to inflame the passions of the community by such transgressions.

The meeting also took note of the manner in which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was browbeating the media and condemned the manner in which the voice of the fourth pillar of democracy was being throttled in the State. It also noted that some media houses had however willingly sold themselves to the AAP government in exchange for crores of rupees in advertisements.

“Such media houses are doing a great disservice to the pious profession of journalism as well as disrespecting Punjab and Punjabis”. Stating that enough was enough, the party said “channels and newspapers that have become propaganda tools of Bhagwant Mann should reform their ways and practice free and fair journalism or else the SAD would be constrained to boycott them”.

The SAD president also unveiled a mass contact programme under which all halqa incharges will visit all villages in their constituencies. Mr Sukhbir Badal said “the AAP government has betrayed all sections of society. It is our duty to reach out to the people and assure them that we will fight for their rights and force this corrupt government and puppet chief minister Bhagwant Mann to implement all promises made to them”.

Meanwhile it was also decided that Youth Akali Dal (YAD) president Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjher would visit all constituencies in the State to organize the youth wing and take feedback from the youth. It was also decided that a constituency incharge would be appointed for each Lok Sabha constituency in the State.