AMRITSAR, Jan 29: Bhai Mohan Singh, head priest of Golden Temple, is learnt to have been tipped for the post of Jathedar of Akal Takht in the eventuality of Bhai Ranjit Singh being replaced as the feud between Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gurcharan Singh Tohra reaches flashpoint.Mohinder Singh Romana, a confidant of Badal, today reportedly met Bhai Mohan Singh at his residence and was closeted with him for over an hour. Romana was also at the forefront of mobilising SGPC members in favour of Badal and also played a leading role in the petition filed by SGPC members before the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission. Bhai Mohan Singh is the seniormost among the five Sikh high priests. He was party to the December 31 hukamnama ordering truce between Akali Dal leaders till April 15.According to sources, serious efforts are afoot behind the scenes to remove Bhai Ranjit Singh before February 11, the day Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Prof Manjit Singh and Ajit editor Barjinder Singh have been summoned to appear at the Akal Takht. There is no likelihood of the two appearing at the Takht in presence of Bhai Ranjit Singh.An indication of appointing any one of the four serving high priests at the Akal Takht was given by Romana at a press conference yesterday. Replying to a question, he had said that Bhai Ranjit Singh could be removed by the executive committee and any "existing jathedar" can take over from him.Much of the game-plan of the Badal camp would depend on the decision of the Gurdwara Judicial Commission, which will take up a petition by 10 SGPC members to advance the date of the SGPC executive meeting on February 15. Meanwhile, in a press release, the US-based "Akal Takht support committee" warned Badal against destroying the image of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs at the behest of the BJP. The committee said the "thinking level of Badal and his associates was same as that of Indira Gandhi, Gen Vaidya and Beant Singh, who had adopted immoral methods to challenge the authority of the Akal Takht".The committee said the 30-lakh Sikh community abroad was watching the developments closely. It also hailed the decisions taken by Bhai Ranjit Singh and appealed to him to stick to Sikh principles.A group of intellectuals considered close to Tohra, in a separate statement, said that the present Sikh leadership had came to power with the support of common Sikhs, who had given two votes in favour of Badal and Tohra in the Assembly and SGPC elections. On the other hand, Inderjit Singh Baghi, acting chairman of the Bhai Fauja Singh Public Charitable Trust, Pardeep Singh Walia, president of Akali Dal (Urban), Amritsar, and Jaswinder Singh, Hardip Singh Mohali and Surjit Singh (all SGPC members) have flayed Bhai Ranjit Singh for summoning Prof Manjit Singh and Barjinder Singh.
