Jammu and Kashmir: SAD urges Delimitation Commission to reserve 5 seats for Sikh members in J&K legislative assembly

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Delimitation Commission to reserve five seats for members of the Sikh community in the union territory legislative assembly. Party senior leader and former MP Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra handed over a letter written by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal in this regard to Delimitation Commission Chairman Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai in Srinagar. Also Read | Shocking! Navjot Singh Sidhu’s outstanding electricity bill of 8 lakh for 8 months goes unnoticed The Shiromani Akali Dal has urged the Commission to favorably consider reserving three seats for the Sikh community in Jammu and two seats in Srinagar. The Commission assured to consider the demand sympathetically. Also Read | CBSE Board Exams 2022: How and when exams will be held for Class 10 and 12 students Sukhbir Singh Badal in his communiqué to the Delimitation Commission said several times, including at the time of partition of the country, promises were made to the Sikh population of J&K that counter checks would be created in the democratic process to ensure their social and economic well being. “It was even proposed that a definite number of seats would be reserved for members of the Sikh community in the J&K legislature on the pattern of that done for the Anglo Indian community in parliament and state assemblies. Sadly, the then Congress government did not honor any of the promises made to the Sikh community post-partition,” he added. Asking the Commission to right this historical wrong, Sukhbir Singh Badal said the reservation of seats for Sikhs in the J&K UT would ensure the voice of the community was taken into consideration while making executive decisions. He said Sikhs in J&K had been complaining for a long that they were being left behind in the development process because there was no reservation for Sikhs in jobs in Jammu and Kashmir despite their minority status. -PTC News