JALANDHAR: The Shiromani Akali Dalon Sept.16, decided to send deputations to various states to demand the release of Sikhs detained under TADA. Briefing newsmen after the meeting of the party working committee, Kuldeep Singh Wadala, a spokesman of the committee, said party President Parkash Singh Badal would soon write to Chief Ministers to seek appointment in this connection, If no serious case was pending, the delaines should be transferred to Punjab, he said.

The committee also sought the release of Bhai Ranjit Singh, who is undergoing sentence in Delhi and Jaswant Singh Khalsa, a human rights activist who was arrested in Amritsar recently,

Gurcharan Singh Tohra, SGPC President and a member of the committee, did not attend the meeting for the third time, Among others who were also absent were Capt Amarinder Singh, Surjan Singh Thekedar, Sukhjinder Singh and Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Earlier, talking to news men at Samrai village, 15 km from here, Badal denied that the forthcoming World Sikh Sammelan had been convened to fix the political goal of the party. He said the political program would be decided by the Akali Dal.

Badal also did not agree with the suggestion that the sammelan would ‘encourage the revival of radicalism in the state. He said the Akali Dal had all along been taken into confidence regarding the preparations for the sammelan, He called upon the people to participant in the sammelan in large numbers, Referring to the steps taken by Harcharan Singh Brar, Chief Minister, o cleanse the administration, he wondered why Brar did not take any action while he was the Health Minister in the Beant Singh ministry, This meant that corruption was the highest in his own department. If he had felt that he could not take action during the Chief Minister ship of Beant Singh fie should have resigned. ‘Asked whether all members of the working committee would attend Saturday’s meeting, Badal said if some persons could not come due to preoccupation it did not mean there were differences in the party. The absence of Gurcharan Singh Tohra and some others from the last meeting of the working committee held at Jalandhar had given rise to speculation about the differences in the party, It was learht that some members of the committee had objected to Tohra’s failure to attend the meeting because he was considered the biggest champion of the Akali unity. Brushed aside the suggestion that the new Chief Minister, Harcharan Singh Brar, would take the wind out of the Akali’s sail with his so-called change of perception about the Punjab problem and other issues.

Talking to newsmen, he said the track record of the Congress Chief Ministers visavis Punjab had been anti-state, Badal claimed that the Akalis had been struggling for Punjab’s rights and not for deriving any political mileage.

Badal urged the party men to avoid infighting and win trust of all sections of Punjabis, Kuldip Singh Wadala, a senior Akali leader, also warned party ‘men not to repeat the ugly episode of Khadoor Sahib, otherwise the party leadership would be forced to take strict action, Tight security arrangements were made for Badal’s visit.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 22, 1995