Vote for Congress or not, Sikh religious panels debate

New Delhi: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (DSGPC) on Thursday announced its support for the Congress party and appealed to Sikhs in the country to vote for the party which has declared that Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, will be its prime minister again if it forms government.

The DSGPC, the committee governing gurdwaras in the capital, took the decision at a special meeting attended by over 300 heads and representatives of various gurdwaras in the country at the Rakab Ganj gurdwara in Delhi.

"We held discussions with members of various gurdwaras across the country and decided to support the Congress as the party for the first time made a Sikh the country's prime minister. We want Manmohan Singh to get a second term as the prime minister," DSGPC president Paramjit Singh Sarna told IANS.

The DSGPC has also sent a letter of support to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

"We appeal to all Sikhs in the country to vote for the Congress party and help in formation of a secular government at the centre," said Sarna.

The party also expressed satisfaction over Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar withdrawing their candidatures for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. The two are accused of involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

"There was discussion on the issue and and we have no problem in supporting the Congress after the withdrawal of candidatures by these two leaders," said Sarna.

However, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the highest Sikh religious body, condemned the move and blamed the DSGPC of playing politics.

"The DSGPC is misleading Sikhs in the country and we appeal to them not to vote for the Congress party. The party was responsible for massacre of Sikhs in 1984 and we will never forgive them for it," said SGPC member Kuldeep Singh Bhogal.