Tohra should quit, says Simranjit Mann

Addressing a press conference, Mann termed the reported demand of Gill that he should be given a free hand to handle the situation in Bihar as a pointer to his high-handed approach. The legal advisor of the party, Ranjan Lakhanpal, alleged that since Gill had been convicted of a criminal charge, he was not eligible for a government post Later answering questions from newspersons, Mann stated that since Vajpayee was visiting Pakistan, he should sanction money for the upkeep of the samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He demanded the removal of the barbed wire from along the Punjab border, stating that this implied that the government did not trust the people living in border areas.

Mann said that while they supported Bhai Ranjit Singh as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, they have nothing against Bhai Puran Singh as they respect his contributions. He also asked SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra to quit from the post as he had lost the confidence of the majority.