JALANDHAR: Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, recently alleged that the Congress was trying to get control of the SGPC through its agents. Talking to newsmen here, Mr. Badal in an obvious reference to the Panthic Akali Dal said that whenever the SGPC elections were held the Congress floated a new Akali Dal. They were working on the guidelines of the Congress which was also providing funds. He warned that the tactics of the Congress would never succeed. He called upon the people to foil the designs of the Congress in the coming SGPC elections. He was confident that the electorate would never allow control of the SGPC to go into the hands of the agents of the Congress. When his attention was drawn to the charge of the rival Akali Dal that the SGPC had become a den of corruption under Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Mr. Badal said if it had any specific allegation it could complain to the Gurdwara Judicial Commission. Mr. Badal demanded early elections to the Punjab Assembly because the Congress Government “did not have the people’s mandate.” This had become clear during the Lok Sabha elections when the Congress could win only two seats out of 13 in Punjab.

He described the Punjab Government headed by Mr. Harcharan Singh Braras “‘spineless” under which the administration was at a’ standstill. Mr. Badal was confident that the accord reached between the two factions of the Congress would not last long. Mr. Badal said it had already been decided to contest the coming Vidhan Sabha elections jointly with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Some adjustments would be made after the elections are formally announced. The Akali Dal is prepared to have an electoral understanding with any party which does not have any link with the Congress. He said this when his attention was drawn to the formation of a United Front on the pattern of the Center in Punjab. Mr. Badal hoped that the BSP Congress understanding would also not last; Mr. Badal said he had no hope that the United Front government would do anything good for Punjab.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 6, 1996