Chandigarh, September 3
The Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the apex policy-framing body of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), today endorsed the unconditional unity offer extended by the party chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to a former SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and leaders of the other splinter Akali groups active under the banner of the Panthic Morcha.

Mr Parkash Singh Badal chairs a meeting of the SAD political affairs committee in Chandigarh on Monday.

Informed sources told The Tribune that at today’s meeting of the PAC held at the residence of Mr Badal, almost all members of the PAC spoke in favour of the unity move. In fact, the dominant feeling at the meeting was that the split in Panthic votes because of the presence of the Panthic Morcha in the coming assembly elections would benefit the Congress, a strong contender for power in the state. It would be good for the Panthic forces to come together to defeat the Congress in the poll.

Moreover, Mr Badal himself seems to be very serious about unity among various Akali factions. His tone at today’s press conference held after the meeting was reconciliatory. He repeatedly said the door of the SAD was open to all Akali leaders who had left the party. “We will welcome any leader who wants to come back to the party without laying down any conditions”, Mr Badal said.

He went to the extent of saying that the SAD was not his personal property. He was only a trustee of the party and was running it as the responsibility had been given to him. He said that he had not created any hurdles in unity. The allegations levelled in this connection by Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, convener of the Panthic Morcha, were baseless.

Mr Badal said that he did not throw anybody out of the SAD. Mr Tohra and the Ministers belonging to his group left the party on their own. “ In fact, before accepting the resignations of the Ministers belonging to the Tohra group, I talked to them on the phone, asking them to reconsider their decision. But they told me that their decision was final and did not withdraw their resignations. After this, the resignations were accepted by me”, Mr Badal added.

Mr Badal, rejecting the demand of the Panthic Morcha leaders with regard to his appearance before Akal Takht, said that he had not committed any sin. “Why should I appear before Akal Takht?” he quipped. He said the allegations levelled against him by the Morcha leaders were baseless.