Tohra-Badal differences leaves SAD workers worried and angui

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They alleged that the state administration was steeped in corruption and the government was dominated by bureaucracy. The district units of the Akali Dal throughout the state had been lying dormant and no regular meetings had been held since they were set up in May 1997, they said.

Sukhdev Singh Bhora, acting president of the SGPC, was also in the city but did not attend the press conference called by the three SGPC members.

Sources indicated that the scheduled meeting of the SGPC executive at Amritsar on December 16 might be a stormy affair with Badal group members planning to mount pressure against Tohra because of his statements against Badal.

Tohra supporters also targeted Barjiner Singh Hamdard, editor of Punjabi daily Ajit, alleging that that he was trying to create divisions in the state polity, both on religious and political fronts.

They accused Hamdard of dabbling in Panthic affairs and criticised his writings against the Akal Takht Jathedar. The SGPC member said it did not behove on the Akali leadership to run the party and government affairs on the advice of an editor.

The Akali workers who are true assets of the party should not be ignored their advice should be heeded, they said.

The SGPC members said the Akali government had failed to deliver the its promises contained in the election manifesto and the increasing corruption and disenchantment of Akali workers was a dangerous sign. The workers meeting called by Badal here yesterday was proof enough of the disillusionment of the Akali workers with the Badal government, they said. They said that the Akali ministers who are giving statements against Tohra were not doing any service to the party, they were just being yes-men.

Amritsar: Puran Singh Josh, a senior member of the SGPC, today sought to remove Tohra from office and membership of the committee. In October, Josh was shunted out of a general house meeting of the SGPC for opposing Tohra’s re-election.

Josh had told members to wear black clothes till Tohra was removed from SGPC presidentship. He had levelled allegations of corruption against Tohra in the general house meeting.

In a press release here, he said Tohra was trying to grab the chair of Chief Minister since a long time. He said his recent statement against Badal was a great betrayal to the Sikh panth as the panth was looking forward to celebrating the tricentenary of the Khalsa.

Josh said he had been an SGPC member for the last 20 years, besides holding the post of City Akali Jatha for 12 years, but had never seen Tohra thinking about the welfare of community and state. He said he couldn’t tolerate Tohra playing his politics under the garb of religion. He said that Tohra’s stooges had humiliated him when he tried to expose him in the meeting.

He said Tohra was party to Operation Bluestar in 1984 and the spirit of Sikhism had died down during his regime since no sincere efforts were made to preach religion to the youth. Because of the fox-like actions of Tohra, the Akali government had fallen two times in the past, Josh said. He demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of crores of SGPC funds.

Meanwhile, the differences between Badal and Tohra camp have provided an opportunity to the Congress to project its claim of providing stable government, said Kanwar Pal Singh, spokesman of Dal Khalsa.

In a release issued here today, he said it seems there is no room left for democracy in Akali Dal, which was in sharp contrast with its image as a democratic and Panthic organisation. He said Akali Dal was riddled with internal contradictions and factionalism.

He said politics of sycophancy had become a order of the day in the Akali politics and the democratic process was under severe strain. He appealed to both the leaders to mend their ways and work for the Panthic unity in order to halt Congress resurgence in the state.

Batala: Mahant Gurdayal Singh, chairman of the Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation (BACKFINCO), has expressed confidence in the leadership Punjab Chief Minister and SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal.In a statement issued today, Gurdayal Singh said that Tohra was bent upon becoming the chief minister of Punjab and the leaders and workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal would not allow him to fulfil his dream.

He alleged that Tohra and his supporters had supported the Congress candidate which led to the defeat of SAD-BJP nominee from Adampur assembly seat. The SAD would not forgive him for hatching a conspiracy against Badal, he said. He appealed to the workers and leaders of SAD-BJP to stand united to save the Punjab Government.

Ludhiana: Addressing a congregation at the Nanaksar Gurdwara last night, Tohra, carefully sidestepping any political issues, said certain issues based on the percepts of the Gurus were not to be questioned. People who resorted to questioning such precedents in the name of moderation where causing harm to the faith, he added.

Among the few people from the Tohra camp to comment on the political controversy, Gurbaksh Singh Mardkhera, vice-president of the erstwhile Youth Akali Dal, said the dismissal of Jasmer Singh Bala from the party was a grave mistake.

Earlier in the day, Badal supporters intensified their attack on Tohra. Speaking to ENS, Amarjit Singh Bhatia, vice-president of the SAD and member of the SGPC, said the CM should not tolerate the dissent expressed by Tohra and action should be taken against the SGPC chief. “Let Tohra convene a meeting of the SGPC again and we will see how he can become the president. He is the chief of the SGPC only because the CM supported him.” In a press release yesterday, Bhatia along with three other SGPC members demanded a CBI probe into the alleged misuse of SGPC funds by Tohra.

Patiala: The working committee members of Shiromani Akali Dal jathedar Manmohan Singh Bajaj, Kanwaljit Singh Kapoor, former MC president, Kamlesh Kaur, member SGPC, Onkar Singh Pamma, senior vice prsident of district urban Jatha, Kulwinder Singh Lovely, president Youth Akali Dal, principal Baba Singh, general secretary, district urban Jathas Akali Dal, Sarup Singh Sehgal, former president Akali Jatha Urban, Basant Singh Sodhi, Jagdish Armani, secretary Akali Jatha Urban, in a joint statement here said that some leaders for their self-motives were issuing irresponsible statements aiming at disintegration of the Shiromani Akali Dal under a deep-rooted conspiracy and reiterated that the Akali workers should not allow any body to succeed in such silly attempts. Jathedar Manmohan Singh Bajaj said that the Akali workers were lined behind Parkash Singh Badal and supporting their president too. He reiterated that there was no room for the challengers to the authority of Badal in the party. He said thatBadal had done a tremendous job in accelerating the pace of developmental works in the state. These leaders appealed to Tohra not to create problems for Badal and work only as a religious leader.