JALANDHAR: The Akali Dal (Badal) had never espoused the “political demand of Khalistan but at the same time maintained that the present Constitution to which Sikh leaders never been a party needed to be changed to protect the interests of minorities, including Sikhs. This was stated in a press conference by the senior vice-president of the party, Kuldip Singh Wadala, here, or Feb.13, In reply to a question whether his party agreed with the Khalistan demand made by the militant youth, Wadala said that they could formulate their political strategy on the issue only after the militant leadership was allowed to function over ground.
Wadala also referred the statement of the Chief Minister who refused to conduct elections to the SGPC and said that Beant Singh seems to be not well aware of the Gurdwara Act, 1925. It is a Central Act and that only Parliament is empowered to say anything on it. He suspected that Beant Singh is talking of breaking the act on the instructions of the Central government which according to him was never serious towards Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular, The Akali Dal (Badal) had decided to launch its democratic struggle in protest against the humiliation and sacrilege caused to the holy shrines and elimination of the Sikh youth in fake encounters, he said. A conference of workers and farmers would be organized at Jalandhar on March 14, he said.
The Akali Dal (Baba) has decided to meet the President, Dr.Shankar Dyal Sharma, on March 3 to seek judicial probe into the killing of the Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Gurdev Singh Kaonke, Disclosing this Darshan Singh Mand, vice president the party, said, here, on Saturday that the deputation of the party would protest to the President against the excesses being committed on the minority community by the government.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 19, 1993
