📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Religion
Four Sikh groups urge Home Minister to hold SGPC elections after 13-year gap
✍️ Amar Ujala · Amritsar
🗓 10 Oct 2026, 08:01 AM
👁 20
Four Sikh organisations have written to the Home Minister demanding fresh elections for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, noting that the body has not held polls since 2011.
Four prominent Sikh bodies have jointly addressed a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, pressing for immediate elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The organisations point out that the SGPC, which oversees the management of Sikh gurdwaras across India, has not conducted a routine election since 2011, leaving its leadership in place for more than a decade.
The letter, circulated in Amritsar, argues that the prolonged absence of a democratic mandate undermines the credibility of the SGPC and hampers its ability to represent the Sikh community effectively. The signatories contend that regular elections are essential for transparency, accountability, and the proper functioning of the body that administers some of the religion's most important shrines.
While the Home Ministry has not yet responded publicly, the demand adds pressure on the central government to intervene, as the SGPC falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Observers note that a fresh electoral process could also influence the political dynamics in Punjab, where the SGPC holds considerable sway.
The four groups have called for the elections to be scheduled at the earliest possible date, urging the government to adhere to the statutory timelines prescribed for the SGPC's electoral cycle.
The letter, circulated in Amritsar, argues that the prolonged absence of a democratic mandate undermines the credibility of the SGPC and hampers its ability to represent the Sikh community effectively. The signatories contend that regular elections are essential for transparency, accountability, and the proper functioning of the body that administers some of the religion's most important shrines.
While the Home Ministry has not yet responded publicly, the demand adds pressure on the central government to intervene, as the SGPC falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Observers note that a fresh electoral process could also influence the political dynamics in Punjab, where the SGPC holds considerable sway.
The four groups have called for the elections to be scheduled at the earliest possible date, urging the government to adhere to the statutory timelines prescribed for the SGPC's electoral cycle.