Akali crisis deepens, Tohra to quit SGPC post

AMRITSAR, FEB 11: The crisis in the faction-ridden Akali Dal and Sikh clergy deepened further today as SGPC president G S Tohra and its f...

AMRITSAR, FEB 11: The crisis in the faction-ridden Akali Dal and Sikh clergy deepened further today as SGPC president G S Tohra and its four executive committee members loyal to him announced their decision to resign from their posts at the Akal Takht tomorrow while "suspended" Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh and Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal postponed their separate meetings scheduled for the day.

Ranjit Singh could not hold a meeting of five priests of Akal Takht for want of quorum while Badal postponed a meeting of Akali Dal political affairs committee.

With only two of the five clerics turning up for the meeting which was to discuss action against two Badal loyalists, Ranjit Singh alleged that two other priests had been "kidnapped" with the support of the Badal government.

Tohra told newsmen at Chandumajra village, where he also addressed a public rally, that he did not accept the appointment of Golden Temple Granthi Giani Puran Singh as acting Jathedar of Akal Takht adding that only a "Sarbat Khalsa" (congregation of Sikh organisations) could remove the Jathedar.

Tohra, who had gone to Chandumajra village to pay tributes to the mother of Akali Dal MP Prem Singh Chandmajra, announced his decision to resign as SGPC president in the presence of senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana and other BJP leaders who were also present to condole her death.

Acting president of SGPC Sukhdev Singh Bhaur also announced his decision to resign tomorrow. All of them, however, said they would submit their resignations to Ranjit Singh who, according to them, continued to be the Akal Takht Jathedar.

Ranjit Singh indefinitely postponed the meeting of five Sikh clerics which was to try the case of editor of Punjabi newspaper Ajit Barjinder Singh Hamdard and Takht Kesgharh Sahab Prof Manjit Singh who are considered close to Badal.

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The "suspended" Jathedar had also issued directions to 131 SGPC general house members to authenticate their signatures on an appeal sent to the Takht for the withdrawal of a December 31 Hukamnama directing Badal and Tohra to stop all factional feud in view of tercentenary celebrations of "Khalsa Panth."

Giani Puran Singh, immediately on taking over as Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht last evening, had announced postponement of today’s meeting but Ranjit Singh had threatened to go ahead with it.

Tohra and those loyal to him in the SGPC also announced that they would boycott functions of the government where Akalis would be present.

Badal denied to reporters in Chandigarh the allegations of Tohra and Ranjit Singh that his government was interfering in SGPC affairs and said he had no role in decisions taken by the SGPC executive committee yesterday including that of Ranjit Singh’s removal as Akal Takht Jathedar.