Expel Mohindra, demand senior Congmen

He said such a statement was a direct attack against the the PPCC president Amarinder Singh and was totally uncalled for. Choudhary Jagjit Singh also asserted that it was strange that Mohindra had publicly come out against the march while he was among those who had endorsed a resolution adopted by the PPCC executive at Patiala on December 8 for organising the March to celebrate the 300th anniversary of birth of Khalsa. “If Mohindra wanted to say anything, the party platform was the right stage instead of going to the Press,” the leader of the Opposition said.

Choudhary said the Congress had fought elections under the leadership of Amarinder Singh and by campaigning against the Akali policies. “How can Mohindra say the Congress is following the Akali philosophy of mixing religion with politics,” Choudhary asked.

Choudhary Jagjit Singh contended that the Congress was participating in the celebrations to mark the 300th centenary of Birth of Sikh Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh. “The tenth Sikh guru was secular as he baptised five Panj Piaras into Sikh religion who belonged to different religions,” he said adding that the Congress had always stood for secularism.

Dutta, meanwhile, in a separate press conference demanded expulsion of Mohindra from the party alleging that he had raised a banner of revolt against Amarinder Singh.

“Leaders like Mohindra are merely dishing out such controversial statements to grab attention,” Dutta alleged. He said the proposed religious march by the Congress was not an attempt to draw political mileage. “It is not in any way a compromise with the secular character of the Congress,” Dutta said.

He appealed to Amarinder Singh to beware of the psycophants and back biters who, he alleged, were trying to damage the party’s image in public.

Patiala: PPCC General Secretary Bir Devinder Singh described Mohindra’s statement as “an outburst of a sick mind.” He said a resolution to celebrate the tercentenary tercentenary year in a befitting manner was passed by the Punjab Assembly when Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was the chief minister and Mohindra was a member of the Assembly.

He said Sonia Gandhi had written to the Prime Minister to appoint a committee to celebrate this occasion and the PM had not only appointed a national committee but also earmarked Rs 100 crore to commemorate the tercentenary celebrations.

In a separate statement, Pradesh Congress general secretary Sant Ram Singla said the people of the country and particularly the Hindus must uphold the values of the gurus and their traditions by participating wholeheartedly in the tercentenary celebrations. Singla called upon Sonia Gandhi to take a serious view of such statements as they tarnished the image of the party.

Chandigarh: PPCC general secretary Partap Singh Bajwa today said the Khalsa founded by Guru Gobind Singh had proved to be a positive force for secularism and nationalism and hence, it was not any deviation from secular ideology of the Congress.

Bajwa asserted the Congress believed in religion as a source of strength for the people but opposed mixing religion with politics and that was the strength of the party and weakness of the Akalis. Moreover, the Congress was a secular party but not a party of the atheists and the Congressmen celebrate all religious festivals collectively.

He said at the time when communal passions were being aroused by the front organisations of the Bharatiya Janata Party, it was all the more necessary to stress upon the secular teachings of Guru Gobind Singh. He questioned the contention of Mohindra that celebrating the Khalsa tercentenary would put the secular ideology of the Congress in danger.

Bathinda: District Congress Committee in a resolution passed here today has demanded a stringent action against Brahm Mohindra. Taking a serious note of the statement the DCC stated that Guru Gobind Singh who formulated Khalsa Panth for the protection of the suffering sections of society, was among the most secular persons of the world.