PATIALA, Sept 27: Gurcharan Singh Tohra is responsible for the present plight of the Akalis in the state. This was stated by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while addressing a public gathering at village Namadan near Samana. Lamenting Tohra's actions, he said Tohra had played a negative role in trying to disintegrate the Shiromani Akali Dal by raising petty issues.He said Tohra had sided with the anti-panthic forces and directly or indirectly helped the Congress. Badal said Tohra, now the president of the All India Shiromani Akali Dal, had also tried to sabotage the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa but had been prevented by timely action.The outcome of the election results will decide the political fate of Tohra and his supporters in the state, he said, adding that Tohra had himself defied the party's decision to rotate its working properly and demanded a Rajya Sabha seat for himself before the feud. Badal, however, expressed hope that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies will improve their position during the present parliament elections as there a wave in favour of Atal Behari Vajpayee was sweeping the entire country. He said Vajpayee may be able to provide a more stable government to the country.The Chief Minister was at Namadan to lay the foundation stone of a hospital to be constructed by Sant Hardev Singh Loolahanwale. After laying the foundation stone of the hospital, he exhorted the social and religious organisations to come forward and help the state government in setting up more schools and hospitals in the area. Others who spoke on the occasion included Finance and Planning Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh, SGPC member Sant Hardev Singh, Ghanour MLA Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Jathedar Joginder Singh Punrath, Jathedar Rattan Singh Alhoran and Surjit Sigh Rakhra.
