NEW DELHL India: The dissident Akali Dal will organize a world Sikh convention at the Amritsar Golden Temple complex on February 10 next.

This was announced by the acting Vice-president of the Dal, Mr. Surjan Singh Thekedar, before his arrest from outside Gurdwara Keshgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib on Tuesday.

Before his arrest, he named Mr. Gurdev Singh Badal, a legislator from Faridkot district to act as head of the breakaway Akali Dal.

Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, President of the Dal, is already in prison. He was arrested’ on December two last along with the newly elected President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra.

The decision to hold the convention was taken at a meeting of the party MLAs members of the executive committee of the SGPC and activists of the Youth Akali Dal.

Mr. Surjan Singh Thekedar said that the convention aimed at knowing the views of Sikhs living in India and abroad, and to decide what should be done to overcome the crisis the Sikh community was facing.

Mr. Surjan Singh said the Centre with the help of the Punjab government was “out to finish the Sikhs’.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 16, 1987