The row over formation of separate SGPC today snowballed into a fight between Union and the state governments as Haryana today termed the letter by the Centre asking the Governor to withdraw assent to the bill as an "affront to the federal structure of India".
After protests from Punjab, the Centre asked the Haryana Governor to withdraw the assent granted to a Bill aiming to create a separate Sikh Gurdwara management Committee, saying the state assembly did not have legal authority to enact such a law and it was thus 'void'.
In a letter to Haryana Chief Secretary S C Choudhary, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami said the 'Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Bill, 2014' passed by the state assembly on July 11, to which the Governor accorded his assent on July 14, has "no legal effect" and be withdrawn before any further complications arise.
Haryana's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "the letter by the Home Secretary questioning the competence of Haryana legislature to enact the law is an affront to federal structure of India."
"Besides negating the constitutional right of state assembly to legislate within its territorial jurisdiction, such an act by the BJP-led Union government is an anti-thesis of their pre-poll promise of respecting the rights of the states," Surjewala told PTI.
He said, "It is nothing short of a conspiracy by the BJP and SAD to divide the Sikh community of Haryana and hide multiple scams, misgovernance and misrule of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab."
"We request the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Badal to respect the aspirations of the Sikhs of Haryana and also the competence of the state to legislate within its territory," he said.
Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Bill, 2014' was passed by the state assembly on July 11. The Governor had accorded his assent on July 14. The Act has been notified now.
Reacting to the letter, Haryana Chief Secretary Choudhary said, "I find it very funny. I am amused. I cannot pass a judgement on collective wisdom of the state Legislature.
