LUDHIANA: Suspecting that the controversial letter concerning the foreign visit of Akal Takht Acting Jithedar Manjit Singh was the handiwork of a Jalandharbased Punjabi daily. Aj Di Awaz, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to send legal notices of defamation and damages (o Jasbir Singh Rode, managing trusice of the puper, Sahib Singh Sandhu, manager, and Sukhbir Singh Osahan, its representative at Chandigarh. Disclosing this to media reports, here, last week, SGPC president Gurchanin Singh Tohm alleged that media persons in the Capital were given copics of the letter by Osahan, The paper, he said, went ‘on to publish a Photostat copy of the letter without having venfied its authenticity. Tohra said such notices would also be sent lo The Tribune, which also carried the news on the first day without confirming it, and Foreign Secretary K Srinivasan, who had allegedly Awriticn the fetter to the Indian High Commissioner in London.

Terming the news as violation of the Press Act, Tohra said he had already consulted a law prominent lawyers at Chandigarh and asked them to send these notices, He said during his visit to Delhi last week, he would consult top lawyers of the country as how to best pursue the case involving the reputation of the supreme Takht of the Sikhs and the entire community.

According to the SGPC chief, though the Foreign Office had denied having written any such letter. this did not suffice. The notices, he informed, were also being issued to Kuldip Singh Wadala, a prominent Jeader of Akali Dal (Badal), Rajinder Singh Mchta and Amarjit Singh Chawla, all Akali leaders, for casting aspersions on the Akal Takht Jathedar, Tohra and SGPC secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta in the light of the letter. Terming it a handiwork of forces opposed to the supremacy of Akal Takht, he Said a few years ago also, Aj Di Awaz had circulated a fake letter involving him and late Harchand Singh Longowal, Jasbir Singh Rode, in charge of the paper, was removed by the SGPC as Akal Takht Jathedar though he continues to claim himself as jathedar.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 2, 1994