CHANDIGARH: The Babbar Khalsa International leaders have said that they are not bound to give explanations to the Akali Dal (Mann) president. Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann, for the killing of the Party’s Patiala district jathedar and his candidate for the Samana-Jatran Assembly constituency, Baldev Singh Lang, and the candidate for the Nabha constituency, Jathedar  Pritam Singh, as they had acquainted him about their misdeeds.

In a statement received here on Friday, the BKI commander, Bhai Balwimder Singh Jatana an Bhai Daljit Singh Kauli, asked Mann if it was not a fact that the Patiala district Jathedar Bhai Amrik Singh alias Kauli had met him in Burail jail at personal risk and told him about their misdeeds.

Jathedar Kauli had told Mann that Jathedar Lang and Jathedar Pritam Singh were collecting huge sums in the name of the organization from factory owners and indulging in other misdeeds and that they should be dissuaded from doing so or they would be punished. Mann had assured that he would remove them from jathedri and expel them from the party when he came out of the jail. Instead of expelling them form the party, Mann gave them ticket or the assembly elections.

 The statement said that they (Jathedar Lang and Jathedar Pritam Singh) used their bodyguards to extort money for election expenses.

They had joined the poll fray despite boycott of the elections by the Babbar Khalsa International.

The BKI leaders said that Jathedar Pritam Singh Dedheri had used his tractor on behalf of the Babbar Khalsa to loot a liquor vend and ran off when he was surrounded, He also indulged in extortions in Patiala Nabha, Gobindgarh and Dhuri and that was another reason for his punishment. Now his brother was also indulging in such acts and describing him as a saint.

Bhai Amrik Singh Kauli said the Babbar Khalsa had nothing to do with the threatening letter to Mr. Dharampal, junior engineer of the PSEB at Bhadson. The employee responsible for the letter would be punished. They warned the driver of an SDO of Bassi Pathana gird to refrain from taking liquor after taking amrik. He also warned the cooperative inspectors of Ropar and Patiala against indulging in corruption and a cooperative manager of Ropar against intimidating people posing as a militant.

The statement warned a number of newsmen not to make deletions in the organizations press notes.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 12, 1991