LUDHIANA: Accepting the Akali unity formula of Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann that he should resign as president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and Offered not only to step down as SGPC chief, but also leave Punjab, if Mr. Mann could guarantee that former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would join other Akali leaders in bringing about panthic unity.
Tohra told media persons that he was, however, not hopeful of such a prospect and the Akali unity would remain a distant dream since egos of the leaders and their inability to learn a lesson even from the recent panchayat samiti election would be in the way.
Without naming Mr, Badal, he said the latter must be living in a world of Mohammed Tughlaq to Still believe that he could form a government in Punjab after next ‘Assembly elections because the state government had allegedly reduced democracy to farce.
He criticized Mr. Badal for not ‘even honoring the wish of the Akal Takht for panthic unity.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 21, 1994
