Guru Ki Dhab (Faridkot), September 18
The SHSAD President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, today did a volte face on his party’s separation from the Panthic Morcha, claiming that his party was a part of the Panthic Morcha which had decided to launch a movement to form a “real” Akali Dal to wrest power from the Congress in the next Assembly elections.
Talking to mediapersons before addressing the party rally, Mr Tohra said the convener of Panthic Morcha, Baba Sarvjot Singh Bedi, and others had been making efforts to form an Akali Dal as per Sikh tenets.
He said his job was now to bring the Akali Dal back on the rails as it had been derailed by the SAD President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal who had “insulted” Akal Takht and its Jathedar.
Now a check had been put on the authority of Akal Takht by constituting an eight-member advisory panel to decide matters which could be taken up by it. The panel was a tool of Mr Badal to save himself from any punishment, he alleged.
Asked about his strategy, Mr Tohra pointed out as per the Akali Dal history, any party head following “anti-Sikh policies” could not occupy the same post for long in the past. Mr Surjeet Singh Barnala was removed from the presidentship of the SAD after he endorsed the commando action in the Golden Temple when he was the Chief Minister.
Now the people would also remove Mr Badal from the presidentship of the SAD. The defeat of the Badal group in the elections to the Delhi Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee was an indication in this regard.
He alleged that Mr Badal made the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib a BJP show. The function was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee instead of the Panj Piaras. Non-baptised Sikhs were made members of the SGPC and the Akali Dal, he said.
Asked who would be the president of the “real” Akali Dal, Mr Tohra said it was premature to comment on it.
He alleged that Mr Badal had never said Sehajdharis should not have voting rights when he was the Chief Minister but now that he was out of power, he was raising such issues.
He asked why Mr Badal did
not
make efforts to get the All-India Gurdwara Act Bill passed from the Centre to put this controversy to rest.Addressing the rally, on the occasion of Jor Mela at Guru ki Dhab, he said the economy was affected by the unsound policies of the previous SAD-BJP government.
Mr Badal also failed on all fronts to resolve the problems of Punjabis. Denying the charges of seeking support from the Congress to wrest power of the SGPC in the elections to be held on November 30, Mr Tohra alleged that Mr Badal was lingering on one pretext or the other to
foresee his party’s defeat. He claimed that he had the support of SGPC members and would defeat his opponents with a thumping majority. Mr Tohra said Mr Badal misused the SGPC for his interests.
Mr Badal was not ready to leave the control of the SGPC and was using all methods to woo the members, Mr Tohra said. He said he was ready to bring about unity among all Akali factions, minus the Shiromani Akali Dal, in the interests of the Sikh Panth. Mr Tohra denied having any differences with Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi who had recently left the SHSAD.
