JALANDHAR, Jan 29: The religion-political conflict in Punjab has split the Sikh holy men (Sant Samaj) vertically into pro-Tohra and pro-Badal factions with a section of the Sikh holy men today formulating a parallel conglomeration of holymen squarely blaming SGPC president G.S. Tohra for the current impasse and calling for his removal from the party. Alleging that the December 31 hukamnama (edit) by the Akal Takht Jathedar on the Badal-Tohra dispute was basically pronounced to protect Tohra, the new body of Sant Samaj, ``Gurbani (Gurmati) Sidhant Pracharak Sant Samaj,'' called upon the Akal Takht Jathedar to review the edict.The new body of Sikh holy men was formed today with 111 Sants and holymen of different deras of Punjab which is parallel to the already existing conglomeration of holymen, ``Gurmati Sidhant Pracharak Sant Samaj'' based at Jodhan Masudan in Ludhiana which is considered pro-Tohra.Calling Badal as the symbol of Hindu-sikh amity in Punjab, the new Sant Samaj felt that the current crisis in the religion-political affairs in Punjab was part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to destablise the democratically elected Akali government.The president elect of the new Sant Samaj, Baba Kashmira Singh, later briefed the resolutions of the new body and alleged that Ludhiana-based body was only trying to shield Tohra.Baba Mangal Singh who was the vice president of the Ludhiana based Sant Samaj today changed sides and was made acting president of the new body. Baba Kashmira Singh later told media persons that they would not participate in the February 2 convention of Sikh saints called by the Akal Takht Jathedar at Amritsar. He said today's meeting of Sant Samaj apprehended that the February 2 meeting could involve Badal, who was championing the Hindu-Sikh amity in Punjab, into an unseemly controversy leading to a constitutional crisis.Another resolution said that Tohra was not merely president of the SGPC but was a member of the Rajya Sabha also. It said that if Tohra continued to violate party discipline, party president (Badal) should shunt him out from the party.
