Withdraw assent to bill that creates separate SGPC for Haryana: Centre

CHANDIGARH: The Centre on Friday wrote to the Haryana government urging it to ask its governor to withdraw his assent to the contentious Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) legislation which seeks a separate SGPC-like body for Sikhs in the state .

Union home secretary Anil Goswami wrote to chief secretary seeking withdrawal of assent by state governor, Jagannath Pahadia to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Bill 2014 which was passed by state assembly on July 11 got the governor’s assent on July 14.

Chief secretary, Satish Chandra Choudhary said that he found Anil Goswami ‘s communication very amusing. “I find it very amusing that the union home secretary has passed a judgment on the wisdom of state legislature and the governor,’’ he said.

“Once a Bill has been assented to by the Governor, it becomes a law. The Constitution has no provision for withdrawal of assent,’’ Choudhary said.

Quoting the advice of the attorney general, the home secretary on Friday said, “Before any complication arise, the Haryana government may bring the facts to the kind notice of the governor and request him to withdraw the assent given by him to the Bill in view of the fact that the state legislature had no legislative competence. The Bill passed is void and of no legal effect.”

Attorney general, Mukul Rohatgi said that Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 falls within the Union List.