Tohra, Badal reject truce appeal

Bhai Ranjit Singh said the thinking that one could survive by destroying the other was not right. He said the leaders should respect the massive mandate given to them by the people of Punjab. If the war between them continued, SAD would lose its identity, the Jathedar added.

He saidthey should not take people for granted and should know that they will not be able to get votes of the Sikhs by merely accusing the Congress for all the ills. He said the SAD had come to power after a long struggle and its fall would be unfortunate for the Sikhs.

Badal was accompanied by Public Relations Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Animal Husbandry Minister Rattan Singh Ajnala during his closed door meeting with Bhai Ranjit Singh yesterday. While Tohra was accompanied by SGPC secretary and former minister Manjit Singh Calcutta when he met Bhai Ranjit Singh.

Meanwhile, Calcutta said at a press conference today that the meeting held by ten members of the executive body of the SGPC in Chandigarh yesterday was invalid. He said the meeting presided over by Tohra in Amritsar was valid under the gurdwara Act. He said under the Act neither the president could demand a resignation from executive members, nor could any member make such a demand from the president.

Calcutta, hoped that the differences betweenBadal and Tohra would be sorted out amicably.

He suggested that if the Badal camp stopped the `firing’ and invited Tohra for a dialogue, then differences could be resolved within minutes.

In reply to a question Calcutta said the bureaucracy and the police were the major hindrance in implementing developmental work, while adding that no major plan was implemented due to the bureaucracy in the last one-and-a-half years.

He said he had no personal problems with Badal while in government but added that complaints of the general public had increased.

He said the Jathedar of the Akal Takht had every right to intervene in the affairs of SAD.

Earlier, the disciplinary action committee of the party issued a show cause notice to Tohra for violating party discipline.

The disciplinary action committee of the Akali Dal headed by Jagdev Singh Talwandi gave 15 days to Tohra to explain why action should not be taken against him for criticising the Parkash Singh Badal government, Akali Dal and its ally, theBharatiya Janata Party.

“I will react only after receiving the show cause notice”, Tohra said. Talking to The Indian Express, he reiterated he would not pose any threat to the Akali Dal-BJP Government in the state.

Vajpayee had talked to the SGPC chief as the Akali Dal factional fight flared up and promised to take up the issue with Badal. Tohra told the Prime Minister he would keep quiet despite the tirade launched against him by the supporters of the Chief Minister. Sources said Badal was not in favour of Vajpayee in the “internal affairs of the Akali Dal”. The Prime Minister was of the view that the two leaders should sink their differences at the earliest.

The resolution passed at the meeting of the disciplinary action committee termed the violation of the discipline by the senior leader as unfortunate and highly objectionable. Strong action would be taken against the SGPC chief in case he fails to reply within 15 days.