Revamp Constitution totally, urge Akalis

Another similar resolution passed amidst a show of hands and cries of "Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal" by the rural gathering in the Dashmesh Hall of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib expressed the hope that the new government at the Centre would take special measures to fulfil the growing demand for federalism in the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies, which are likely to form the new government, are already committed to take this step and issued a significant "Jaipur Declaration", the resolution pointedout.

Seeking annulment of Article 356 and making prior approval of a Chief Minister mandatory for appointment of the Governor in his State, the gathering called for tangible steps to reallocate economic resources between the Centre and the States.

Taking note of the criticism from the Congress over its silence on inter-State disputes, the SAD resolution stressed that there should be no more delay in resolving the lingering territorial and riparian issues of Punjab such as transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas and solving the State’s water dispute on the riparian principle.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the BJP ministers in the Punjab Government were absent when these resolutions were passed at the changed conference venue due to heavy rain.

Other resolutions demanded exemplary punishment for the culprits of 1984 riots, hoped that a new era would usher in the country when the BJP forms a government, thanked Punjab’s voters for reposing full faith in the SAD and its allies.Various speakers called upon the villagers to strive for unanimous election of panchayat members and shun social evils.

Talking to media persons later, Tohra said though he was getting elected to the Rajya Sabha, he would neither join the government at the Centre nor in the State.