M A I N   N E W S

Badal’s ouster may be sought
From Varinder Walia and Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

ANANDPUR SAHIB, March 19 — The rival Akali factions — Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) are likely to give a call to oust Mr Parkash Singh Badal as Chief Minister, Punjab for allegedly having failed to maintain “maryada” of Akal Takht, at their respective political conferences here tomorrow to mark the start of Hola Mohalla festival.

Apart from this, the direction of Political Affairs Committee of SAD (Badal) that Bibi Jagir Kaur should appear before Akal Takht would also dominate the political conferences of the rival Akali factions. Though the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee leadership has been restraining itself from getting involved in the ongoing Panthic crisis yet it would use the Akali Dal’s home turf for criticising the ruling Akali Dal for having “failed” in political and religious fields.

Talking to TNS, Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Secretary General, SHSAD, said Mr Badal had caused split in the SAD in 1988 when the Barnala government had let the police go into the Golden Temple. Similarly, Akali MLAs should understand the significance of Sikh “maryada” which was allegedly being violated by the Badal faction, he said.

Mr Harbans Singh Manjpur, Executive Member, SGPC, (Tohra faction) said if “hukamnama” issued from a PCO could be implemented by the PAC of Akali Dal (Badal), then Mr Badal himself must appear before Akal Takht for “violating” the edict issued by Bhai Ranjit Singh on December 31, 1998, from Akal Takht.

Meanwhile, after the direction of the PAC Bibi Jagir Kaur did not visit Anandpur Sahib today, the first day of the festival. She is not likely to participate in the political conference of the SAD (Badal) or the procession to be taken out on the concluding day of the festival.

While the decision of the PAC is not applicable to Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, or Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, as the action against the high priests does not come under the purview of the party, yet they are unlikely to participate in the celebrations of Hola Mohalla in a big way.

The presence of Prof Manjit Singh may be only symbolic for obvious reasons.

The objection raised by the Sikh Students Federation (Mehta-Chawla) leaders to the presence of Giani Kewal Singh at Jwadi Kalan (Ludhiana) yesterday could be an eye opener for the organisers of the Hola Mohalla procession. The security forces have been persuading Prof Manjit Singh not to participate in the celebrations in a big way as lakhs of pilgrims have been converging here and it would be practically difficult for them to control the situation in case even a small group of persons object to his presence. Prof Manjit Singh has reportedly given categorical assurance that he would not take any step which could lead to a confrontation.

Leaders of the SHSAD have claimed that Mr Ravi Inder Singh, MLA, Morinda, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Mr Surjan Singh Thekedar and Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, Chief of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, would address its political conference.