The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, July 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Tohra to move Sikh panel
Wants Calcutta as SGPC Secretary
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 6
The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) will file a petition before the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission to re-appoint Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, a former Akali Minister, as SGPC secretary. In case the commission which was restored yesterday gives a verdict in favour of Mr Calcutta it would help the SHSAD to bring a no-confidence move against the SGPC chief, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar.

The SHSAD will also make a petition to remove Mr Badungar as SGPC chief for allegedly having links with excommunicated Sikh, Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara. This was indicated by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president, SHSAD, while talking to The Tribune on telephone today. He said Mr Parkash Singh Badal had set a wrong precedent of removing the Judicial Commission and appointed his ‘loyal’ men as president and members. The Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission had failed to deliver the goods as it tried to favour Mr Badal and his friends. He said common Sikhs who were fed up with the non-working of the Sikh Judicial Commission, would now come out openly to oppose the “arbitrary decisions” taken by the SGPC chiefs loyal to him (Badal).

Mr Tohra alleged that certain Sikhs might move the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission seeking removal of Mr Badungar as SGPC chief for having ‘direct links’ with Baba Bhaniara. He said Baba Bhaniara had filed papers in the Punjab and Haryana High Court claiming that Mr Badungar, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Mr Kewal Singh Badal and senior leaders of SAD and other political parties were present when his ‘Bhawsagar Samundar Granth ‘was released. He (Baba Bhaniara) had also claimed that Mr Badungar had praised his ‘Granth’. “Had Mr Badungar been innocent, he would have filed a counter-petition against Baba Bhaniara,”, Mr Tohra said.

The SHSAD chief said there were a number of cases which were likely to be filed before the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission in the coming days. He said the SGPC had failed to recover Rs 1.50 crore from the kin of former Akali leaders including Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Mr Sucha Singh Landgah, Dr Rattan Singh, who were admitted under NRI quota in the Sri Guru Ram Das Medical College. He alleged that out of Rs 10 lakh, withdrawn by the then SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur from the Darbar Sahib account for visiting South Africa along with her family members, Rs 5 lakh was still to be recovered.

The issues which could be taken up with the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission included the performing of ‘havan’ along with Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister in gross violation of ‘Sikh Rehat marvada’. Mr Tohra said that during his regime as Chief Minister, Mr Badal had un-ceremoniously removed Bhai Ranjit Singh and Giani Puran Singh as Jathedars of Akal Takht. Mr Badal was ‘guilty’ for denigrating prestige of Akal Takht.

Refuting the charges that the Congress government had restored the old Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission at the behest of the SHSAD, Mr Tohra said the step was a ‘face-saving measure in the wake of the petition filed by Mr Kashmir Singh and Mr Dara Singh (president and member) of the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission who were removed wrongly by the Badal government rescinding its notification.

FARIDKOT: Mr Manmohan Singh Brar, former Chairman of the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission, will file a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 8 against his removal from the chairmanship of the commission by the state government yesterday. He said his expulsion was illegal, unconstitutional and against the norms of the Sikh Gurdwara Act. Mr Brar said here yesterday the case regarding the removal of some previous members of the commission, including Mr Kashmir Singh Patti (president) and Mr Dara Singh and Mr Raghbir Singh, both members, by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was already lying pending in the high court Mr Brar also criticised the police of Amritsar for breaking the lock of his office at the behest of the state government.

Mr Brar along with Mr Amrik Singh Randhawa and Mr Ajwant Singh Maan were appointed on the panel on January 11, 1999, by Mr Badal.

Meanwhile, several senior leaders of SAD, including Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, former Agriculture Minister and Senior Vice-President of the party, Mr Mohinder Singh Romana, member, SGPC, Mr Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon and Mr Mantar Singh Brar, both MLAs from Faridkot and Kotkapura, respectively, reacting to the decision said the act exposed the nexus between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra President, SHSAD. They added that their party would shortly hold a meeting at Chandigarh to decide the future course of action in this regard.