AMRITSAR, Punjab, India: The five member Panthic ‘Committee has presented before the four Sikh priests yet another charge sheet against the acting Akal Takht Chief, Mr. Darshan Singh, indicting him of having indulged in “a conspiracy against the Panth”.

The charge sheet accused Mr. Darshan Singh of having entered into secret parleys with the Punjab Governor, Mr. SS. Ray, and the State police chief, Mr. J.F. Ribeiro, on how to prevent the forthcoming Sarbat Khalsa from being held. If further accused him of clandestinely meeting the district police chief on his recent visit to chalk out the “preemptive plan”.

Ina handwritten two page press release here, all the five members charged that the “understanding” included early elections and the subsequent establishment of Mr. Badal’s rule in the state. “But we ‘want to make it amply clear that neither will we allow any future polling or allow any dummy Government to function in the State,” they added.

The Panthic Committee had earlier on September 29 forwarded a charge sheet to the four high priests accusing Mr. Darshan Singh of going back on the demand for “Khalistan” endorsed in a resolution passed at the last “Sarbat Khalsa” conventions and submit to the supremacy of the Panthic Committee.

Meanwhile, the Khalistan Liberation Force on Tuesday described as unfortunate the controversy between the Akal Takht acting chief, Mr. Darshan Singh and the five member Panthic Committee.

In a statement the Khalistan Liberation Force “General”, Mr. ‘Avtar Singh Brahma and “Lt. General”, Mr. Kuldip Singh Muchhal, ‘without naming the Panthic Committee, said both the parties were giving more preference to their prestige and leadership to some extent.

They said at this critical juncture, it was being debated as to who was guarding the interest of the Sikhs and was giving more importance to the vested interests.

The Sikh Intellectual Forum has observed that now was the ‘most appropriate time to call forth a Sarbat Khalsa “stop entire future of the Sikh community was in the dark”.

In a formal release here, the convener, Mr. Tarlochan Singh, observed that if Mr. Darshan : ‘Singh was so scared of the militants that he could not call Sarbat Khalsa, then it was better for him to resign as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht cannot be of weak morale, they observed.

 

 

 

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Article extracted from this publication >>  October 23, 1987