M A I N   N E W S

Badungar quits to pave way for Tohra
Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 20
Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar today resigned from the presidentship of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to pave the way for the ascendency of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra to the post. The SGPC, which accepted the resignation of Mr Badungar, unanimously passed a resolution making its Vice-President Alvinder Singh Pakhoke the Acting President of the body.

Sources disclosed that the resignation of Mr Badungar was the only agenda of today’s meeting and that another meeting was expected to be held on July 24 to formally elect Mr Tohra as SGPC President.

A meeting was held at Dukhniwaran Gurdwara here to accept the resignation of Mr Badungar. The SGPC President handed over his resignation letter to committee secretary Harbeant Singh. The letter said Mr Badungar was resigning to pave the way for unity in the Panth.

The Executive Committee also accepted the resignation of its member Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, who had resigned from the Executive to facilitate the election of Mr Tohra to the top post.

Earlier, addressing the sangat in the gurdwara, Mr Badungar said unity could have taken place a year ago also, but some former ministers and senior party leaders Capt Kanwaljit Singh and Tota Singh did not allow the move to succeed.

Later, talking to newsmen, Mr Badungar said he was happy with what he had done during his stint as SGPC President. He said he would like the next SGPC head to complete his unfinished tasks which included the setting up of an academy to train Sikh youth for the civil services besides the establishment of the Baba Banda Bahadur Memorial and a sports academy.

Mr Badungar was escorted to his residence on the outskirts of the city in the shape of a procession.