The Shiromani Akali Dal today maintained that there was no violation of the model code of electoral conduct during the religious gathering of Hola Mohalla at Sri Anandpur Sahib on March 16 and that the participation of the SAD patron-in-chief Sardar Parkash Singh Badal and the party president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal in the gathering "as devotees" must not be viewed a violation of the said code.In a statement through the party Head Office, the SAD General Secretary and Head of Campaign Operation, Mr Harcharan Bains said here today that party had apprised the Election Commission of its response to their query in this regard. Mr. Bains said that the party viewed the allegations of code violation levelled by the Congress spokesperson Mr. Sukhpal Singh Khehra as "motivated, frivolous, false, baseless and totally against the true factual position ."
A formal reply to the EC query has been sent by the party secretary Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema through the Chief Electoral officer, Punjab, and Electoral Officer, Rupnagar, requesting the EC to reject the complaint.Bains said that the SAD had also conveyed it to the CEC that it (the party) had fully complied , both in letter and spirit, with their March 15 order prohibiting political conference on the occasion, adding that "no conference even remotely referable as political in nature was held on the said date."In his detailed reply, the party said that the participation of all the devotees including Sardar Parkash Singh Badal and Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal was "only as Members of the gathering of devotees."
Therefore, there was "no question of any political speech having been made or any election related issues being discussed," said the SAD General Secretary.
The party strongly emphasized that the participation of both the SAD patron and the party president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal was purely in their capacity as "devotees". It also emphasized that participation of any Sikh in the historical/religious occasion of Hola Mohalla can not be viewed as a violation of the Election Commission order dated 15.03.2014 nor a violation of the Model Code of Conduct for elections."Referring to brief remarks made by Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, the party maintained, "Narrating of some historical facts by the devotee Sardar Badal cannot be assumed, termed or interpreted as something, even close to a political activity in nature. Moreover, the Shrimoni Akali Dal has also not defied or violated any of the Directions of the Election Commission of India."
"The participation by Parkash Singh Badal as one of the devotees in the nature of an address to the gathering of devotees had no whisper whatsoever which could be termed as an attempt to convass or influence the devotees and neither can the said address be termed as a political/election speech." Said Dr. Cheema in his reply.On the contrary, said Dr.Cheema, "the devotee" (Mr. Badal) specifically said in his address to the gathering that in due and faithful compliance of the Election Commission order, no political issue could be or would be touched upon as he fully respected the said order and had full respect for the Model Code of Conduct." The presence of Sardar Parkash Singh Badal and Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal, at the gathering being only as one amongst thousands of devotees, the same could not possibly and in fact, did not change the nature of discourse which remained purely historical/religious," said Dr. Cheema in his reply.