Allegations against me false,will fight riot cases: Phoolka Five Sikh high priests met at Akal Takht on Monday and decided to give Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna another chance to explain his stand on the controversy that sparked off following Sarnas alleged outburst against 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims counsel H S Phoolka. The hearing on the issue has been deferred to August 7. Sarna and his brother,Harvinder Singh Sarna,meanwhile,did not appear before the Takht and sent a written clarification through their messenger Bhajjan Singh. The jathedars met Walia and expressed resentment over Sarna ignoring the hearing,but later decided to give him another chance to clarify his stand. As announced earlier,Sarnas will have to appear in person and explain the serious allegations against them, stated Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh,adding they would not take up the matter in their next meet on August 7. Sarnas had been summoned by the Takht after he levelled allegations of misconduct against Phoolka,who later threatened to withdraw from the cases. Phoolka,meanwhile,met the high priests at Akal Takht today and assured them that he would continue fighting the cases in the interests of the community. The cases I have been fighting for the last 26 years are now reaching logical conclusions. As desired by the Sikh high priests,I have decided not to withdraw from these cases and will contest them in various courts, Phoolka told The Indian Express,while reiterating that all allegations of misuse of funds levelled against him by the Sarnas were false. On Congress leader Sajjan Kumars involvement in the riots,Phoolka said the next hearing in the case relating to CBIs proposed clean chit to Kumar is fixed for August 21 and they have prepared a strong reply for the same. Asked about Congress leader Jagdish Tyler,whose name has often figured in the inquiries,Phoolka said he would fight any case filed in the court of law. Akal Takht,meanwhile,asked both parties Sarnas and Phoolka to show restraint and not discuss the matter in public as the issue is pending with the Takht. Interestingly,in a letter to the Takht,the Sarna brothers denied having made any allegations against Phoolka. They,instead,blamed Phoolka for using derogatory and questionable vocabulary in front of TV cameras against them and the DSGMC. Whatever demands were made by Phoolka were fulfilled by the DSGMC,said the brothers. We have even appreciated services of Phoolka from time to time, read the letter,adding that the executive committee of the DSGMC met on May 5 and expressed concerns on justice evading the community for a long time,despite they having spent Rs 1.9 crore on the same. And it was in view of this that the whole issue raked up into a major controversy, added the letter. Phoolka had stated that he misused no money and that the Rs.1.9 crore was not paid to him,but used by the DSGMC.
