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Sikh Samaj backs Ravi Inder
Tribune New Service

LUDHIANA, April 30 — The Gurmat Sidhant Pracharak Sant Samaj today declared its unilateral support to the dissident Akali leader, Mr Ravi Inder Singh, and hailed him as the leader who would help restore the tenets and traditions of Akal Takht.

A meeting of various leaders of the Sant Samaj and supporters of Mr Ravi Inder Singh, along with MLAs owing allegiance to Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal was held at Gurdwara Sri Damdama Sahib at Jodhan Mansooran, around 30 km from here, today.

Later talking to newspersons, Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, President of the Sant Samaj, lashed out at the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and said he had blatantly violated Sikh traditions and denigrated Akal Takht. He accused Mr Badal of letting down the trust of the Sikh Panth, who had voted for him and hailed him as the one who would bring glory to Akal Takht.

Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi further said that the Panthic government in the state today needed a leader who could restore the glory of Akal Takht, which had been denigrated by Mr Badal all along his three-year tenure as Chief Minister.

He accused the Chief Minister of letting the Sant Samaj down on the issue of Sant Darshan Singh of Dhakki Sahib and had gone back on the promises made to the Sant Samaj on the issue. He also accused the Chief Minister of trying to hush up the inquiry into the death of former Akal Takht Jathedar, Bhai Gurdev Singh Kaonke.

Dissident Akali leader Ravi Inder Singh, while speaking on the occasion said his campaign was aimed only at change in the Akali leadership and not for the fall of the Panthic government, which had been voted to power with a massive majority.

Mr Ravi Inder Singh claimed that parleys were on with political parties other than the Congress and they had assured full support to him. “The sympathies of even the state and Central leadership of the BJP (alliance partner of SAD) is with me,” he claimed.

The dissident leader promised to give a clean administration to the people of the state and claimed that he had managed to get a comfortable majority for dislodging Mr Badal.

In answer to a question about the petition filed before the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker seeking the disqualification of 11 dissident MLAs Mr Ravi Inder Singh retorted that being a former Vidhan Sabha Speaker himself, he was aware that the MLAs could not be disqualified.

The meeting between the Sant Samaj and supporters of Mr Ravi Inder Singh lasted for almost two hours. Baba Sarabjot Singh was accompanied among others by Sant Chamkaur Singh, Sant Sukhchain Singh, Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode and Sant Paramjit Singh Mahalpur, while MLAs Hira Singh Gabria and Bikramjit Singh Khalsa (both owing allegiance to the SHSAD) and former MLA Giani Arjun Singh Litt were also present.