FATEHGARH SAHIB: The crisis within the Akali Dal (Amritsar), has deepened with the resignation of Simranjit Singh Mann from the apex seven member ad hoc committee and a section of the party planning to join hands with Akali Dal (Badal) to dislodge Gurcharan Singh Tohra from the president ship of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), in the election of the office bearers next month.
Mann sent his resignation on Oct. 23 at the same time maintaining that he would continue to function as a humble worker of the party. ‘What provoked Mann to take this step was the role of the SGPC chief and his close confidant, Kirpal Singh Libra, in the Panchayat Samiti and zila Parishad elections. Despite the fact that Akali Dal (Amritsar), enjoyed majority in the Fatehgarh Sahib zila parishad, the Congress managed to capture it with the support of two members, alleged to be the nominees of Tohra.
Mann’s confrontation with Tohra Started over the selection of candidates for these elections. According to sources close to Mann, the SGPC chief even went to the extent of canvassing for the candidates whose nomination was not approved by the ad hoc committee.
Much to the disappointment of Mann, Tohra did not tum up at the two meetings arranged by some intermediaries for sort out the issue.
Randhir Singh Cheema, who also resigned from the party working committee in support of Mann, demanded probe into the activities of Tohra and Libra alleging they had joined hands with the Chief Minister, Beant Singh, Cheema was in charge of the Panchayat samiti and zila parishad elections in Fatehgarh Sahib district.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 28, 1994
