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Journalism of Courage
LUDHIANA, March 28: Following the announcement by SGPC chief Jagir Kaur withdrawing permission for the Sant Samaj to hold their separate tercentenary function at Anandpur Sahib at a site allotted to them, sources close to Tohra indicated that the function might be shifted to an adjacent site owned by Baba Bidhi Chand.
However, AISSF Gill chief Harminder Gill today asserted that the Tohra faction would hold their tercentenary function at Anandpur Sahib at the site originally allotted to them despite the SGPC withdrawing permission. Gill maintained that the move to withdraw permission by the SGPC was a deliberate provocation. 8220;We will hold the function as originally planned. The people will take care of the security. If the government wants to prevent a clash, they should act now by not taking occupation of land that has been allotted to us. The SGPC has always allotted land to various religious bodies allowing them to hold their function, there is no precedent for what they have decided to do now.8221;
Lashing out at the celebrations organised by the government, he said, 8220;The Sarkari show will feature Lata Mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh and Daler Mehendi because the government knows it can8217;t pull the crowds on its own. The government also has announced that Jayalalitha, Sushma Swaraj and Mamta Bannerjee will be attending the show,8221; he added. 8220;Do they think the tercentenary of the Khalsa is some kind of a fashion show? Real issues to do with the tercentenary and the faith are being side-lined,8221; Gill said this while speaking to the media along with Tohra associate Jaswinder Singh Balliawal.
