Tohra aides weigh options in wake of expulsion fears

CHANDIGARH, March 4: Apprehending expulsion of their leader, supporters of senior Akali Dal leader and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Comm...

CHANDIGARH, March 4: Apprehending expulsion of their leader, supporters of senior Akali Dal leader and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra have begun to weigh the options open to them. The Chief Minister and Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal today again hinted at action against Tohra and some of his supporters while talking to media persons at Ghagga in Patiala district.

With the religio-political crisis having reached a flashpoint, the supporters of the Chief Minister are favouring strong action against the SGPC chief’s expulsion, especially in the context of his pronouncements at a public speech on Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib. For the first time after the crisis hit the Sikh polity, Tohra did not share the stage with Badal and addressed the people from the religious stage.

Tohra was issued a show-cause notice in December by the disciplinary action committee of the party for suggesting to Badal to appoint an acting president of the party in view of hispreoccupation with the administration of the state. It was this statement of the SGPC chief which had escalated the crisis.

Tohra has not so far given any hint of forming a new party in case of his expulsion. However, sources close to him maintain that the formation of a new party would be the only option available. According to these sources, the discussions going on in the camp suggest that the Anandpur Sahib resolution would constitute the bedrock of the new outfit should it be floated.

The resolution calls for autonomy to the states. It is being pointed out that almost all the political parties in the country now favour more political powers to the states. Earlier at one stage, this resolution was dubbed as secessionist.

The supporters of Tohra in the Akali Dal Legislature Party or the Akali Dal Parliamentary Party cannot leave the Akali Dal if action is taken against him as they would face disqualification under the Anti-Defection Act in case the number is less than one-third. Out of eight MPs,only Prem Singh Chandumajra is openly siding with the SGPC chief. Tohra’s support in the Akali Dal Legislature Party is not enough to engineer a split.

However, immediate concern of the Tohra supporters is the no-confidence resolution slapped on the SGPC chief by 103 members. The general house has been convened on March 22. Reports from Amritsar say that the ten pro-Badal SGPC members have now requisitioned a meeting of the general house on March 16. The SGPC has elected general house of 170 members. Sources here do not rule out Tohra making last-minute efforts to contact the members to mobilise support against the no-confidence resolution.

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Tohra draws his main strength from being the president of the SGPC, the office he is holding for the record 25th term. Ironically, he is under criticism precisely because of long tenure for non-performance in the religious domain. Even Badal charged him with neglecting the affairs of the SGPC whose job is the propagation of religion.