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Tohra offers to resign PATHANKOT, Dec 15 The ongoing crisis in the Shiromani Akali Dal took a new turn today when Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra offered to resign as SGPC chief for the sake of the Panth if asked by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president of the SAD. "Let him (Badal) ask for my resignation, I shall tender it in no time", said Mr Tohra, who had come here to receive the "Khalsa March" which was commenced from Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Harminder Singh Gill, Mr Karnail Singh Pirmohammad, president and secretary-general of the AISSF, respectively were sitting along with Mr Tohra. Mr Tohra, who seemed upset over the recent developments, however, said that there was no move to topple Badal-led the SAD-BJP Government, nor any attempt would be allowed to divide the Panth, he observed. He, however, said that he won't ask his loyalists, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, Mr Surjit Singh Kohli, Mr Harmail Singh (his son-in-law), Mr Inderjit Singh Zira and Mr Maheshinder Singh Grewal to withdraw their resignations from the Punjab Ministry as these were already "accepted". He refused to answer when asked if some more loyalists would resign from the ministry. Mr Tohra parried a number of questions as he said that "he is mum over the developments for the sake of the Panth though the other side had built a virtual storm against me". To a question, Mr Tohra, said that his statement on the resignation of Mr Badal as president of the SAD was "distorted" by a news agency. However, he hastened to add, "let us think for a while that I had committed any mistake, it was the duty of Mr Badal to have called me to sort out the misgivings". He said that when he had already clarified that he had not sought the resignation of Mr Badal but had suggested that he should appoint an acting president of the party for streamlining the organisational structure. Moreover, Mr Badal himself had told me (Mr Tohra) that he could not bear the burden of two posts, about three months ago due to ill health. Meanwhile, the SGPC has postponed the proposed executive committee meeting of the SGPC for obvious reasons. When asked about the deferring of the executive committee meeting, Mr Tohra said that it was done due to unavoidable circumstances. At least 30 members of the SGPC, including some executive committee members, had strongly criticised Mr Tohra for demanding the resignation of Mr Badal as the president of the SAD. Mr Tohra said that the "storm" built against him was not due to his statement in which he had demanded the resignation of Mr Badal but it was a part of the "conspiracy" against him, "they were looking for a lame excuse to open a front against me", he said. On the transfer of the Deputy Commissioner, DTO, DPRO, Patiala after his tussle with Mr Badal, Mr Tohra said that these were "petty things" it won't harm me, he said. When his attention was drawn towards the demand of Mr Harminder Singh Gill and Mr Karnail Singh Pirmohammad, AISSF leaders that Bhai Ranjit Singh, Akal Takht chief, should intervene to "patch up", Mr Tohra refused to comment. He, however, added that he had opted not to react to the statements of ministers and SGPC members against him for the larger interest of the Sikh Panth. To a question, Mr Tohra admitted that the present crisis in the SAD was not in the interest of the Panth and the state as well. To yet another question, Mr Tohra said that his statement about poorer performance of the SAD-BJP Government was not out of the context as same was being highlighted by the media. He, however, said that the present political crisis won't adversely affect the tercentenary celebrations of the "Khalsa Panth". When asked about the solution to the present crisis within the SAD, Mr Tohra said ask those who had created the unpleasant situation. Meanwhile, Mr Gurinder Singh Shantpura, executive committee member of the SGPC, Mr Harbans Singh and Mr Kashmir Singh both SGPC members who were sitting along with Mr Tohra expressed solidarity with Mr Tohra. Earlier, Mr Tohra received
a massive "Khalsa March" at Madhopur. The march
was flagged off by Mr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister of
J&K. This is the first inter-state Khalsa March,
taken out from J&K, said Mr Harminder Singh Gill,
AISSF president. The march would reach Amritsar today
evening which would be flagged off by Bhai Ranjit Singh,
Jathedar Akal Takht after offering prayers for Anandpur
Sahib. |
CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 At least 10 of the 15 members of the SGPC Executive Committee have told the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, that they would seek the resignation of the SGPC President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. They are believed to have told the Akali Dal president that they are deeply hurt the way Mr Tohra has demanded the resignation of Mr Badal from the presidentship of the dal and criticised his government's functioning. These executive members had come here to attend a meeting of the SGPC. Among those who reportedly attended the meeting at the residence of Mr Badal were Mr Kewal Singh, Junior Vice-President of the SGPC, Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, Mr R S Vrik, Mr Bhagwant Singh, Mr Mal Singh Ghuman, Mr Satnam Singh, Mr Gurpal Singh, Mr Hardial Singh Shah and Mr Joga Singh. Mr Kewal Singh is the son of the Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal. Mr Badal and his supporters are now contacting each of the 185 SGPC members except those who are close associates of Mr Tohra. Informed sources said so far the Badal camp has been able to establish contact with 90 members. The sources also maintained that Mr Badal was taking no chances and the attempt would be to get in touch with all members. Once this exercise is over which could take in a day or two, the strength would be put on show before the media. A formal resolution seeking Mr Tohra's resignation too would be passed. Mr Tohra's offer to quit, which was made at Madhopur near Pathankot today, as president of the SGPC once Mr Badal as president of the Akali Dal asked him to resign evoked a mixed response in the Badal camp tonight. Some laughed at this and said Mr Tohra if he wanted to quit did not need any permission or directive from Mr Badal whose resignation he had sought. Others saw a play in this offer. The resignation would come one day, but when the majority of the General House and the Executive demanded it. " We would not violate democratic norms. Mr Tohra is clearly on a weak wicket. His timing for mischief was absolutely wrong", a senior Minister quipped. In fact, the number game is going on both sides. Mr Tohra is confident of the SGPC Executive siding with him and also the SGPC General House. After all, he has done so much for the SGPC and its members, a Tohra confidant said. Mr Tohra, who spoke to senior BJP leaders, including Mr Vajpayee and Mr L K Advani, to appraise them of the development, feels he has 23 MLAs with him. The Tohra group is scared of the political clout of Mr Badal as Chief Minister and Akali Dal President, but is not running way away from the fight. "All our ministers quit last night, showing total solidarity, and Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, MP, resigned from the Dal general secretaryship today. Those who support Mr Tohra would stand by him", a former Minister said. The Tohra group feels their cause is more genuine and they are not after power. Another strategy on which the Tohra camp is working is preparation of a detailed memorandum listing "corruption and inefficiency" of Mr Badal and present it either to the Akal Takht Jathedar or to the Governor and finally take the issue to the people. Mr Badal and his supporters are sure of sailing through the present crisis. "We have the total majority of MLAs, MPs and members of the General House of the SGPC. There is no crisis for us at all", Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, said. Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal,
son of the Chief Minister and a Minister of State at the
Centre, felt there was spontaneous response to the
challenge and support for Mr Badal came without
asking." It is like another morcha in the offing. Mr
Tohra, I think, miscalculated this time. The government
would last a full term and it would not disappoint the
people of Punjab", he said. |
BJP keeping close watch, CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 While the Congress party is apprehending that the ongoing tussle between the Tohra faction and the Badal camp may "revive" militancy in Punjab, the leadership of the BJP is keeping a close watch on the emerging political developments. Mr Birdevinder Singh, General Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, told TNS on the Trunk phone this evening from Patiala that whenever the Akali factions fight they generate more "fire than light". He said that in the past the "fire", which had erupted from the personality clashes of the Akali leadership, had kept Punjab burning for more than a decade. About the emerging political developments in the past days he said the Congress leaders in the state have had informal consultations. But a statement in this regard would be issued at an appropriate time. He said that according to the Congress party the SAD-led government in Punjab had "overlived" its term and such a fight between the two Akali factions was nothing new but a repeat of their past history. He said that in the past also the Akalis had themselves got their governments dismissed by pulling the legs of each other and the same was being done now. He said that the Congress party's main concern was that the state (Punjab) should not suffer on any account due to the infighting of the Akali factions. He said that one natural consequence of the ongoing tussle would be that development of the State would come to a halt and the Akalis would be more busy to settle scores with each other. He said the Akali factions would try to let down each other and such an attitude would certainly prove very dangerous for the state as past experience show. Mr Birdevinder Singh said that following the transfers of certain bureaucrats it had become a lesson for all of them that they should not identify themselves with any particular political group, party or leader. He said that such identification could have a very adverse affect on the administration of the state. He said that it was most unfortunate that the Badal Government had certain bureaucrats who were identified with Mr Tohra. Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, a senior Minister and leader of the BJP, said that his party was keeping a close watch on the political situation. He said the resignations of the Ministers and other political developments which had taken place so far were an internal affair of the Shiromani Akali Dal. He said that he was hopeful and confident that the BJP-led Government at the Centre with the support of its allies and the SAD-led Government in Punjab with the support of its ally would last their full terms. But the resignation of Mr
Prem Singh Chandumajra from the post of general secretary
of the SAD, must have caused alarm bells in the BJP. For
the BJP every MP matters in the Centre, keeping in view
the very slender majority of the BJP-led Government. |
Sort out differences, jathedars tell CM PATIALA, Dec 15 A meeting of the Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib Akali Jathas held at Dukh Niwaran Sahib Gurdwara here today asked the Shiromani Akali Dal president and Chief Minister Punjab Parkash Singh Badal to sort out his differences with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra to defeat designs of the anti-Panthic forces waiting for an opportunity to create cracks in Akali Dal unity. A resolution to this effect was adopted by workers of the two district jathas held under the presidentship of Mr Rajinder Singh Tohra, president of the Patiala district (rural) Akali Jatha, known to be a confidant of SGPC chief G.S. Tohra. Prominent among those who attended the meeting included nine SGPC members from Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts besides Akali legislator from Samana Hardial Singh Rajla and Akali Dal Working Committee member Chhajju Ram Sofat. The meeting by another resolution adopted unanimously, decried the statements being issued against the SGPC chief and called upon the party president to discharge his responsibilities as party chief and direct the party men not to issue statements against senior party leader G.S. Tohra. It also sought action against those who had been levelling charges against Mr Tohra. It described as unfortunate the recent statements being issued against the SGPC chief and deplored the campaign against him. Significantly, a supporter of Mr Tohra and MLA from Shutrana Gurdev Singh Sidhu was absent from the meeting. Among the SGPC members who were present at the meeting included Rattan Singh Lahoran, Ranjit Singh Sanaur, Bachan Singh Saphera, Giani Kartar Singh Bhoglan, Tejinder Kaur Setia, Savinder Singh Sabharwal, Jassa Singh Ramgharia, Jaswant Singh Tan and Jaswinder Kaur. Meanwhile the onslaught on
the "Pro-Tohra" officers in Patiala district
continued today with the shifting of Patiala Deputy
Commissioner Viswajeet Khanna as Special Secretary,
Science and Technology, and Sub Divisional Magistrate of
Patiala Surinder Kaur Riar as Administrative Officer in
the office of the DPI (Primary) and Moonak Subdivisional
Magistrate Manjit Singh Narang has been posted as SDM,
Patiala. Patiala District Transport Officer Navtej Singh
was ordered to be shifted as Deputy Director,
Colonisation while District Public Relations Officer
Megha Singh has been shifted to Chandigarh and Ujjagar
Singh posted here in his place. |
Punjab Cabinet to meet today CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 The Punjab Cabinet will meet here tomorrow morning. Besides discussing the present political situation it will transact the routine agenda, which mainly pertains to some annual reports to be placed before the Vidhan Sabha besides framing of some rules on sexual harassment of women employees, as per the orders of the Supreme Court. This will be the first
Cabinet meeting after acceptance of the resignations
tendered by five ministers, three of Cabinet rank and two
Ministers of State |
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