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Tohra accuses Badal of dynasty rule

Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra today claimed that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's ''determination to completely dominate the tricentenary of the Khalsa's birth and to promote his son were the root cause of the crisis that had gripped the Panthic polity in Punjab."

Addressing a religious congregation at the Charankanwal gurdwara in Banga, Tohra said Badal's attempt to ''save'' Barjinder Singh Hamdard, editor of Jalandhar daily Ajit had aggravated the crisis.

The SGPC chief alleged that Badal's ''blind love'' for his son Sukhbir, the Union minister of state for industry, threatened to derail the Panthic polity the same way Dhritrashtra's love for his sons undermined the entire value system of Hindu history and culture.

Reiterating that he would not set up a parallel Akali party, Tohra said it would remain his endeavour ''to rescue the Shiromani Akali Dal from the clutches of family rule and make it a truly panthic and democratic party'' to look after the interests of the Khalsa Panth.

Tohra said if Badal wanted to project himself as the leader of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat at the cost of Panthic interests he was welcome to do so and in that event he would not have any clash of interest with him. But he would not allow Badal to ''usurp the Panthic platform for promotion of his family rule.''

''I pose no threat to the Akali government nor will I try to dominate the tricentenary," Tohra said, "but I will work to rescue the SAD from the control of family rule and make it a pro-Panthic and pro-democracy party.''

Lambasting the 10 SGPC executive members who suspended Bhai Ranjit Singh as jathedar of the Akal Takht, Tohra said they had committed a ''sin.''

"These 10 members scripted a dark chapter in Sikh history and history will never pardon them,'' he added.

Hailing Giani Mohan Singh for declining to accept the acting jathedar's post, Tohra presented the Golden Temple head granthi with a siropa and a kirpan on the occasion.

Giani Mohan Singh claimed he had declined the jathedar's office offered to him by Badal and said he had urged the chief minister not to replace Bhai Ranjit Singh.

During a brief interface with journalists in the gurdwara premises before Tohra's arrival, Giani Mohan Singh was repeatedly prevented from talking to reporters by SGPC additional secretary Kulwant Singh who ultimately took him away to the congregation to stall his answering probing queries.

UNI

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Badal accuses Tohra of being in cahoots with Congress

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