Betrayed Akalis should withdraw support 8212; Tohra

CHANDIGARH, AUG 5: Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra today said the ruling Akali Dal should withdraw support to the Vajpayee Government at the Centre as quot;the BJP had betrayed the Akalis on the Udham Singh Nagar issue8221;.

The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal president said the Badal government in Punjab would not be harmed if the ruling Akali Dal8217;s alliance was broken with the Bhartiya Janata Party, as the Akalis enjoyed absolute majority of at least 75 MLAs in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.

quot;The political alliances are not wedding vows which could not be broken even if you are betrayed,8221;Tohra said while replying to Badal8217;s stand that the alliance with the BJP was not based on political compulsions, but commitment.

Tohra was talking to mediapersons at a meet-the-press in Chandigarh Press Club.

He said the Shiromani Akali Dal8217;s political affairs committee decided last year to withdraw support at the Centre if Udham Singh Nagar district was not excluded from Uttaranchal hill state.