Three Ministers attack Tohra
Badal camp fires first salvo
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 12 — The Badal camp today openly attacked the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who had recently called for the appointment of a new President of the Shiromani Akali Dal in place of Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Strongly worded three separate statements were issued today against Mr Tohra by three Ministers — Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Raja Narinder Singh and Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan. All three are known to be close confidants of the Chief Minister and are identified with the Badal camp.

While Raja Narinder Singh has urged Mr Badal to take strong disciplinary action against all those who are currently involved in the unseemly anti-party activities so that the much- needed discipline in the party ranks can be effected, Mr Sekhwan has stated that Mr Tohra was indirectly strengthening the Congress party by demanding the resignation of Mr Badal as party President.

Raja Narinder Singh, who is the Public Health Minister, said that Mr Tohra had made a highly provocative and irresponsible statement against the party President, Mr Badal. He said that it would have been more appropriate if Mr Tohra had put his viewpoint at a party forum like the PAC or the Executive Committee. He said that Mr Tohra's aspersions on a leader like Mr Badal having mass appeal and popular image was unfortunate.

Mr Sekhwan said that Mr Tohra was trying to "weaken the party" by making such a statement. He said that Mr Tohra's statement was part of a "conspiracy" but he did not elaborate. He said Mr Tohra's statement against the functioning of the SAD-BJP government was not in the interest of the Panth. He said that criticism of Mr Badal was all the more surprising since Mr Tohra had been comparing the Chief Minister with Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He claimed that the majority of the MLAs and District Jathedars were with Mr Badal.

In a lengthy statement spread over four pages, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal said that Mr Tohra's statement was aimed at weakening the Panth, the party and the government. He said that Mr Tohra was trying to drive a wedge between him and the Chief Minister by suggesting that the task of leading the party should be handed over to him.

Mr Gurdev Singh Badal said that he had abiding faith and confidence in the leadership of Mr Badal. He said that Mr Tohra had sought to torpedo the sacred Panthic sentiment underlining Mr Badal's historic initiative with regard to the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa. In fact, Mr Tohra's statement against a leader of Mr Badal's stature was an attempt to sabotage the celebrations.

Mr Badal had played a historic role by helping the Sikh community and Punjab to win back its lost glory and respect. He said it was most amazing that a senior leader like Mr Tohra was making statements against the Government of his own party by "ignoring" the "laudable" performance of the Government.

Continuing his attack against Mr Tohra, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal said that Mr Tohra had made an attempt to give a blow to the Government which was fully engaged in the service of the Punjabis. Commending the leadership of Mr Badal to the party as well as to the Punjab Government, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal said Mr Tohra should desist from such activities which were against the party, the Panth and Punjab.

Informed sources said that the statements by these Ministers had been made to drum up support for Mr Badal in the party rank and file. Last evening Mr Badal had held a meeting with his close confidants and the party's District presidents to chalk out a strategy against Mr Tohra. The strategy today started unfolding as Ministers have started issuing statement against Mr Tohra.

Sources said that it was the first step from the Badal camp. While these statements have intensified the ongoing cold war between Mr Badal and Mr Tohra, the coming days are crucial for the party as the Badal camp seems to be in a mood to take this issue to a logical end.

SGPC President meets supporters
From Our Correspondent

FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 12 — The SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, held a closed-door meeting with his supporters at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib here on Saturday. The meeting was attended by the Jathedar of Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Bhai Manjit Singh, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, MP and all SGPC members of the district.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Tohra denied that he had demanded the resignation of Mr Parkash Singh Badal as party President. He had only demanded that Mr Badal should appoint a "working" president to share his burden as organisational matters would need more time after the defeat of the SAD in the Adampur assembly byelection.

He said party workers were not getting enough time with Mr Badal to air their grievances. An active president could give greater attention to the party and its workers. He said Mr Badal should devote his time to bringing efficiency in the government, making bureaucracy accountable and checking the prices.

He said the government should severely punish hoarders. If this had been done earlier, the prices could have been controlled and the party could have won in Adampur.

Answering a query, he said he was not aware if Mr Badal had held an informal meeting with district jathedars as mentioned in newspapers.

Bhai Manjit Singh refused to talk to the mediapersons, but on repeated requests said: "I am a true Sikh of the Guru. Till the Guru, the sangat and the Panth need my services, I will continue to serve.

He refused to comment on the remarks of the Akal Takht chief, Bhai Ranjit Singh, against him.

CM extends largesse to shrines
From Sushil Goyal

BURMAJRA (Ropar), Dec 12 — In a major policy decision the Punjab government has decided to extend government largesse to religious places through generous grants on the lines of grants to educational institutions. The law will be suitably amended for this purpose.

Addressing a public gathering at Burmajra village about 10 km from here after inaugurating two bridges, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said a bill in this regard would be presented in the Cabinet meeting so that financial grants could be provided to all 'gurdwaras', 'mandirs', 'masjids', 'churches' and other religious places for their development.

Made more reflective by the defeat in the recent Adampur assembly election and with a spate of complaints from SAD-BJP workers, party MLAs and MPs he said that the bureaucracy largely ignored them when they visited government offices. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today warned the bureaucracy to be accommodative of the people who were instrumental in projecting the SAD-BJP alliance to power.

Mr Badal was addressing a rural gathering here after inaugurating two newly constructed bridges built at a cost of Rs 6 crore on Budhki nadi near Rallon village and on the Siswan near Dulchi Majra village on the old Ropar-Morinda road near here. With the construction of these bridges, the distance between Ropar and Morinda has been reduced by about 8 km and two level railway crossings skirted.

Mr Badal said he would instruct DCs and SSPs of each district to ensure that such complaints were addressed at their level. He also asked the police not to over do security arrangements for him to a point where people were insulted at public functions in the name of VIP security.

It is worth mentioning here that Mr Badal was speaking amidst unprecedented security around his stage with sniffer dogs and explosive detector devices used to search the ground before his arrival.

In another significant announcement the CM said the government would make provisions for issuing grants to religious places on the pattern of grants to schools and hospitals etc. He said a resolution would be tabled in the Cabinet for giving money to temples, gurdwaras, mosques and churches.

Lashing out at the Congress, the Chief Minister said that under Congress regimes Punjab and Punjabis had suffered a lot. Besides, the top leadership of the Congress, including a former Prime Minister and party president had defamed the country by being named in corruption cases. He mocked Congressmen, for being unable to find a woman from among the crores of Indian women for their party president and having to adopt a 'foreigner' who did not even know the language.

The Chief Minister said that in the years to come the state would be known for the surplus power. Thein dam would be inaugurated in February and the state would get 600 MW of power. Likewise the thermal plants at Goindwal and Lehra Mohabbat would generate 1000 MW of power.

The Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for the development of Chamkaur Sahib and urged the administration to maintain the historic Morinda Kotwali as a memorial as the tenth Guru's sons were detained there.

Mr G.S. Tohra, SGPC Chief who shared the stage with Mr Badal congratulated the Chief Minister for the construction of the two bridges and urged the Chief Minister to name the Ropar-Morinda road after Mata Gujri.

Mr Tohra also urged Sikhs to baptise themselves before Baisakhi of April 1999.

Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Punjab Food and Supplies Minister, said by ignoring the principle of 'Miri and Piri', the country had pushed itself towards corruption instead and separation of religion from politics was being advocated by the corrupt. To curb corruption, there was a need to instead link society with religion, he added.

The Minister said the state's relations with the Centre were very cordial as proved by the recent advance of Rs 350 crore yesterday to the state. He also asked the Chief Minister to raise the issue for including more Punjab area in the proposed 7000 kilometre long six-lane highway project.

Sounding a less conciliatory note, Mr Harmail Singh Tohra, Punjab PWD Minister, asked the villagers to remove encroachments along the roads of their own accord. He also assured construction of a bridge on the Ropar-Chamkaur Sahib road.

Mrs Satwant Kaur Sandhu, MLA, Chamkaur Sahib, demanded that the historic town be made a tehsil and water-logging in the area be tackled.

Among others who addressed the gathering, were Mrs Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, MP, Ropar; Master Tara Singh, MLA, Anandpur Sahib; Mr Ravi Inder Singh, MLA, Morinda; Mr Pritam Singh Sallomajra and Mr Surinder Kumar Sood, district presidents of SAD and BJP, respectively.

Mr Badal also distributed cheques worth Rs 2 crore to 380 unemployed youths and to 30 gram panchayats.