NEW DELHI – At least 11 persons, including Delhi chief of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) Manjit Singh, were injured in a clash outside Rakabganj Gurdwara located in the high-security Parliament House zone Thursday.
The clash was a manifestation of a simmering dispute between two rival political groups – the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) led by Paramjit Singh Sarna and the Shiromai Akali Dal (Badal) – competing to run the affairs of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
The SAD (Badal) has been demanding elections to the DSGMC, whose tenure ended two years ago. Sarna had recently indicated that the elections to the DSGMC could be held before year end.
The incident occurred around 10.45 am when “sewadars” reportedly prevented Manjit Singh from attending the DSGMC executive committee meeting.
The Manjit camp claimed their leader was not allowed in even after he showed them a circular for the meeting, resulting in a scuffle.
Eyewitnesses said Manjit was attacked by men armed with swords and sustained injuries on the head and lips. He was admitted to the intensive care unit of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where his condition was stable.
Both factions later got counter-FIRs registered with the Delhi Police under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 307 (attempted murder) of the IPC.
The others injured included Chamanjit Singh, Paramjit Singh Rana, Mohan Singh, Manjit Singh Kundra and Harmit Singh Kalka.
Kuldeep Singh Bhogal, an SAD (Badal) leader in Delhi, said: “Manjit was specially invited to the meeting by DSGMC general secretary Gurmit Singh Shunty.”
Shunty admitted that he had issued a special invitation to Manjit for the executive committee meeting to discuss issues concerning Guru Harkishan Hospital building coming up near Bala Sahib Gurdwara, abolition of powers of the trust constituted for the hospital and misuse of “golak” money, to which Sarna took offence.
Sarna said under the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, a meeting could be convened only with the permission of the DSGMC president, but that rule was not followed by Shunty.
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