Amidst corruption allegations and spars between President Manjit Singh GK and General Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, DSGMC sends mandatory notice to Gurdwara Election Commission to constitute new Executive Committee.
Manjit Sigh GK announced elections to the executive committee three months before the due date of March 29. The announcement was made after a meeting of the executive board called by general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa following the directions of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal. After heated arguments in the meeting between members, Manjit Singh GK announced that the elections will be held either on December 28 or December 29.
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The corruption charge
In early October, Gurmeet Singh ‘Shunty’, an independent DSGMC member, held a press conference and leveled charges of serious corruption and mismanagement against G.K.
Shunty alleged in his complaint, a copy of which is with ThePrint, that G.K. siphoned off funds meant for the committee. He alleged that the president worked in connivance with some employees of the committee, and on at least three instances, misappropriated funds worth over Rs 1 crore offered by the Sikh sangat in Delhi gurdwaras.
Shunty alleged that a donation of Rs 51 lakh given by a non-resident Indian devotee from Canada was siphoned off through the creation of a fake entry into the account books of the committee. He further alleged that G.K. had in yet another instance misappropriated over Rs 47 lakh through a fake order of books which were never purchased.
He also alleged that GK showed purchase of gloves, blazers, safari suits, etc., worth over Rs 5 lakh from a company which was defunct and running from his own residential address in New Delhi.
‘Answerable to sangat’
Speaking to media, Manjit Singh GK said that allegations against him were false and politically motivated.
“There are a host of allegations against Shunty which I will bring out at the right time,”
said Manjit Singh GK
GK and his team supported by the Akali Dal wrested DSMGC control from the Congress-supported team of Paramjit Singh Sarna in 2013.
Shunty has been elected thrice as a member since 2006. He remained the general secretary of the committee from 2009 to 2013 when Sarna was its president.
Even during his term as general secretary, he had highlighted various instances of corruption within the committee but the matter didn’t reach this stage.
“One of the main reasons that the Akalis came to power in 2013 was due to the issues raised by Shunty as general secretary,”
said an Akali leader who didn’t wish to be named.
However, following differences with GK, Shunty was denied a ticket in the next elections.