In a bid to remove the exemption available to the Sahjdhari Sikhs under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, which enabled them to vote in the elections for the members of the Board and the Committee constituted under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, the Government has introduced the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016 before the Rajya Sabha. The Act applies retrospectively to remove this exemption from 8th October, 2003 onwards. The amendments brought into the parent Act in specific are as follows:
- The proviso to Section 49 has been amended to remove the exception available for Sehjdhari Sikhs to have their name registered on the electoral roll of a constituency constituted for the election of members of the Board.
- The proviso to Section 92 has been amended to remove the exception available for Sehjdhari Sikhs to have their name registered on the electoral roll of a constituency for the election of members of a committee or of a local committee.
– Rajya Sabha
