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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, JAN 18: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that he had no objection to attending the so-called `Mini Sarbat Khalsa’, a meeting of all Sikh religious organisations and sects, convened by Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh, at Amritsar on February 2.
"If invited we will go to Amritsar as we have no objection in attending it," Badal told reporters after the meeting he had convened for chalking out the detailed programme for the celebrations on the tri-centenary of the Khalsa Panth. However, the Chief Minister said so far he had not received any invitation from the Akal Takht Jathedar.
Bhai Ranjit Singh has called for a meeting of the Sikh religious bodies and institutions in the Golden Temple to review the arrangements for the tri-centenary celebrations of Khalsa. However, the ruling Akali Dal circles viewed it as an attempt to prevent his removal from the jathedarship.
In a veiled threat to remove him, by the majority of pro-Badal faction members in the Shiromani GurdwaraParbandhak Committee (SGPC) by invoking the Gurdwara Act, 131 members of the committee had urged him to withdraw his hukamnama ordering truce between Badal and SGPC chief G S Tohra.
Meanwhile, Tohra and his supporters boycotted today’s meeting called here by the Chief Minister. Later, briefing newsmen, Badal said Tohra and Manjit Singh Calcutta, SGPC’s senior general secretary, were invited for the meeting. The Chief Minister said the Akal Takht jathedar was not invited.
However, Kesgarh Takht Jathedar Prof Manjit Singh was present in the meeting.
Badal said in today’s meeting, the SGPC was represented by vice-president Kewal Singh and general secretary Balbir Singh Pannu. He said that Union Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, senior Akali Leader and Disciplinary Action Committee chief Jagdev Singh Talwandi and former Akali Dal president Surjan Singh Thekedar also attended the meeting.
The Chief Minister denied that he had offered the Akal Takht jathedarship to Professor Darshan Singh Ragi, a formerjathedar. Badal said though he had a meeting with Ragi, he had not made any such offer to him. "Perhaps Tohra might have made such an offer," the Chief Minister said.
