M A I N   N E W S

Badal reels off successes
Tohra to expose ‘misdeeds’
From Sushil Goyal and Lalit Mohan

ANANDPUR SAHIB, April 13 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Punjab, lauded achievements of his government with regard to the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations and criticised the policies of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) while Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President of the SHSAD, announced his much-awaited political programme and made a religious appeal to the Sikh community.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the SHSAD today held their political conferences on the occasion of Baisakhi and the concluding day of the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa here where allegations and counter allegations were levelled by speakers of both parties against each other’s party. Mr Badal and Mr Tohra also lashed out at each other besides announcing their programmes and highlighting performances of their respective parties.

Announcing his party’s political programme, Mr Tohra disclosed that a high-level delegation led by Mr Ravi Inder Singh, MLA, Morinda, would meet the Prime Minister and the President on April 19 or 20 to have the Udham Singh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh as 95 per cent residents of the nagar wanted to remain in that state.

Mr Tohra also announced that the SHSAD would organise a convention of the Sikh organisations at Ludhiana this month to protect the “maryada” of Sri Akal Takht and Sikh principles. He said another conference against the high-handedness of the Badal government and corruption in it would be held soon with the help of like-minded parties. A joint programme would be prepared at the conference to fight the “corrupt” government.

The SHSAD President also announced that his party would organise processions in villages in the state from May 1 to 31 to educate masses about the “misdeeds” of the Badal government and damage done to Sri Akal Takht. He also said a massive march from Amritsar to Delhi would be taken out in November to get the long-standing demands of the state accepted which included transfer of Chandigarh and Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab and more autonomy to the state.

Mr Tohra announced that the setting up of new township, Anandgarh, near Chandigarh, would not be allowed at any cost. He said his party would organise a “satyagrah” with the help of like-minded parties as the Badal government wanted to uproot farmers for financial benefits to its near and dear ones.

Mr Tohra making a religious appeal urged the Sikhs to dedicate themselves to the Sikh traditions, principles and Akal Takht. He also appealed to break silence to the Sikh intellectuals regarding the tarnishing of the ‘maryada’ of Sri Akal Takht in the recent past. He appealed to the youth to give up drugs and apostasy to serve the Panth.

While Mr Badal cautioned the Punjabis against the designs of anti-government forces which wanted to destabilise not only the government but also the hardearned peace. He said the result of Nawanshahr byelection was enough to learn a lesson for the party which claimed to be the saviour of the Sikhs.

Mr Badal while glorifying the organisation of Khalsa tercentenary celebrations by the SGPC and the SAD-BJP government claimed that there were no differences between the SAD and the SGPC as both organisations were working in unison.

He also dismissed as baseless the apprehensions that the relations betwen him and Bibi Jagir Kaur had soured after the removal of Giani Puran Singh as Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht. He however, declined to comment about the removal of two Akal Takht Jathedars in a year.

The Chief Minister also gave details of various development projects being taken up by the government as part of the tercentenary celebrations. He also mentioned the various development projects which were in progress in different parts of the state.

At the SHSAD conference, as many as 13 resolutions were passed which include supremacy of the Sri Akal Takht, presentation of accounts of the income and expenditure of the Khalsa celebrations by May 13 next by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, rejection of the proposal of the new township Anandgarh, second languages status to Punjabi in Himachal and Haryana, retaining of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, awarding Punjabis right to buy land in Himachal, J and K and Rajasthan, and removal of Mr Badal as Chief Minister of the state.

On the other hand, the SAD conference adopted four resolutions which include the lauding role of people of the world, Central Government, the SGPC and various other religious and social organisations for making tercentenary celebrations a success, criticism of the role of handful “disgruntled” leaders of the breakaway Akali groups for creating hurdles in the celebrations and making attempts to disturb peaceful atmosphere of the state by false propaganda.

The SHSAD conference was addressed among others by Mr Surjan Singh Thekedar, Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, acting President, Secretary Gereral and General Secretary of the SHSAD, respectively; Mr Ravi Inder Singh, MLA, Morinda; Mr Karnail Singh Panjauli, President of the SHSAD (Youth wing); Mr Ujjagar Singh Wadali, Ropar district president of the SHSAD; Mr Harminder Singh Gill, president of the All India Sikh Students Federation; Mr Bhupinder Singh Mann, President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union; Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, a former Punjab minister; Bhai Manjit Singh and Col Jasmer Singh Bala.

However, Bhai Ranjit Singh, a former Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht, did not turn up at the stage of the SHSAD here today. He also did not attend the political conference of the SHSAD on the occasion of Hola Mohalla here this year.

The conference of the SAD was also addressed by Bibi Jagir Kaur, President of the SGPC; Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Finance Minister; Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Agriculture Minister, and Mr Sucha Singh Langah, PWD Minister, Punjab.

Earlier in the day, thousands of devotees paid obeisance at the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. Mr Badal also paid obeisance at the Takht. A large number of people took a dip in the holy sarovar. Devotees also partook of langar at various places in the mela area.

This morning, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Acting Jathedar, Sri Akal Takht, and Bibi Jagir Kaur, President of the SGPC, delivered messages in the name of Sikh community from the Takht.

The Punjab Public Relations Department organised three-day photo exhibition on Sikh history and culture near the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib.