AMRITSAR, Feb. 25 -- : The Sikh Collective on Tuesday expressed objection to the order dated January 22, 2026, issued by the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections (DGE) under the direction of the lieutenant governor of Delhi, which extends the tenure of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and its executive board by nine months, i.e. up to September 30. Calling the move "patently unlawful" and "deeply damaging to democratic accountability," the Sikh body claimed that the order reinforces the growing public perception that the government is interfering in Sikh religious affairs by delaying constitutionally and statutorily mandated elections. "The DSGMC is a statutory religious body whose legitimacy flows from the Sikh sangat through periodic elections under the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Act, 1971, and the 1974 Rules. Any artificial extension beyond the committee's prescribed term undermines Sikh voters' democratic rights and corrodes trust," Jagmohan Singh, convenor of The Sikh Collective, said.The Sikh Collective flagged that the order relies on Rule 7A(1)-a provision that, on its plain reading, applies to the biennial election of the Executive Board, not to general elections of the DSGMC. "Invoking Rule 7A to delay DSGMC general elections is a misapplication of law and raises serious concerns about statutory interpretation and legislative intent," it stated. It urged the lieutenant governor of Delhi to withdraw, publish a clear, time-bound, non-extendable timeline for completion of fresh electoral rolls and ward delimitation through the DGE, ensure the ward delimitation process is transparent, non-partisan, and free of gerrymandering, so elections are not further postponed through disputes, etc....