CHANDIGARH: The SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohras alleged involvement in ordering the killing of two Akali Dal (Mann) functionaries in June last year is snowballing in to an issue of intense debate among the six panthic organizations which had boycotted the recently held Punjab elections.

The AISSF (Manjit faction) a member of this alliance has suggested that an inquiry be held into the issue and demanded that the SGPC chief quit his poet immediately. “If the inquiry exonerates him then he can resume his post” the AISSF leaders said.

The AISSF (Manjit) general secretary Sarabjit Singh Sohal has suggested that the six organizations form a committee comprising a member of each of their organizations to probe the allegations pending which the SGPC chief “should resign and not exert any influence or interfere while proceedings are in progress.”

Alternatively the AISSF leaders have recommended that an “impartial committee” be constituted to investigate the episode in case all the six organizations did not agree to their proposal.

Interrogation of three recently arrested former Babbar Khalsa militants had revealed that they had killed Baldev Singh Lang president of the Patiala unit of the Akali Dal (Mann) and Pritam Singh both party candidates while campaigning during the aborted Punjab elections in June last year Tohra is alleged to have given the orders through his right hand man Sher Singh Doomchen president of the Youth Akali Dal who was later killed by the three militants after they switched over to the KLF (Resham Singh Thande faction)

Langs brother is said to have approached the Punjab chief minister Beant Singh with a written representation seeking a thorough inquiry into the allegation of the SGPCs alleged complicity in the murder case. The chief minister in turn has instructed the home department to inquire into the issue and instructed that an FIR be lodged if a prima facie case was established.

The Akali Dal (Mann): leadership is learnt to be sore about the allegations.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1992