Only 5 at Amritsar meeting
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Dec 16 — A history of sorts was created in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee when only five members (just a quorum) were present at the Executive meeting held under the chairmanship of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. At this meeting, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, who recently resigned along with his four other ministers, was "unanimously" elected Senior Secretary of the SGPC.

Those present were Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Senior Vice President, Mr G.S. Shantpur, Mr Surjit Singh Cheema, Bibi Kuldip Kaur and Mr Tohra.

Mr Tohra claimed that today’s Executive meeting was valid as the quorum was complete. He claimed that the majority of the Executive and other SGPC members were with him. He described the "informal" Executive meeting at Chandigarh as invalid. The SGPC claimed the procedure was not adopted for calling the meeting at Chandigarh and therefore it was "invalid". Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur while talking to the Press said, "Let those members who attended the meeting at Chandigarh come to Amritsar then they will speak our language."

Mr Tohra said the "other group in the government" indulged in undemocratic things as members were being kept hostages.

Mr Tohra said that apart from appointing Mr Calcutta as Secretary of the SGPC, the meeting did a "routine work."

It is pertinent to mention here that Mr Tohra, while talking to the Press at Madhopur yesterday had said that the meeting of the Executive had been postponed due to some "unavoidable" circumstances. Sources in the SGPC said Mr Tohra was for postponement of the meeting as the fifth Executive member was yet to arrive to complete the quorum.

However, late in the evening, the fifth member assured the "Tohra camp" that he would come. Then the meeting actually took place.

The supporters of Mr Badal, however, claimed that they had ‘won’ the first battle against Mr Tohra at the SGPC fora as only five out of 15 members of the Executive were present.

Vajpayee talks to SGPC chief

LUDHIANA, Dec 16 (UNI) — In a bid to resolve the crisis in the Akali Dal, the BJP’s alliance partner in Punjab and at the Centre, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee last night spoke to SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra to sort out the differences with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Akali Dal sources today said here that Mr Vajpayee, perceiving that the ongoing war of attrition between the two Akali leaders would adversely affect the coalition government both at the Centre and in the state, wanted to resolve the issue immediately.

However, what exactly transpired between the Prime Minister and Mr Tohra was not immediately known. But the sources said both the Akali stalwarts were in touch with senior BJP leaders in Delhi and had conveyed to them their respective positions accusing each other of precipitating the situation.

Badal meets Takht chief
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Dec 16 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister Punjab today met Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar Akal Takht at his residence here, the meeting lasted for more than half an hour. What transpired at the meeting could not be known.

The sources close to Akal Takht chief said that Mr Badal discussed the latest situation arising out of the "tussle" between Mr Tohra and Mr Badal.

Bhai Ranjit Singh had categorically stated that he won't intervene to resolve the matter till he was approached by Mr Tohra and Mr Badal.