PATALA: Gurcharan Singh ‘Tohra, SGPC president has alleged that certain leaders of the Akali Dal (Kabul) were responsible f the arrest of leaders of six Panthic ‘organizations and the BKU which ‘were boycotting the Punjab elections. The arrest of Akali and other leaders was part of a conspiracy hatched by the Punjab and the central governments at the insistence of certain leaders of the ‘Akali Dal (Kabul) who were eager to capture power in the state. ‘

Addressing a press conference at Gurdara Dukhniwaran here, Tohra ‘said the Panth would never forgive leaders like Sukhjinder Singh,

‘Apart from Tohra, the other leaders who managed to enter the Gurdwara were Bhai Manjit Singh, President of the AISSF, Prem Singh Chandumajra, a former minister, Harminder Singh Gill, general secretary of the AISSF, Mohan Singh, a leader of the Babbar Akali Dal, Jaswinder Singh ‘an AISSF leader, and Giani Singh, president of district unit of the BKU.

No political pany was raising its voice against the government which was not allowing Akali leaders to protest against the holding of elections in a democratic way.

Confirming reports regarding the pruning of his security Tohra said that he would not mind if his security guards were withdrawn by the government. The pruning of the security was also part of a conspiracy.

As desired by Simranjit Singh Mann president of the Akali Dal (Mann), the SGPC’s full house ‘would meet in March this year and pass the resolutions suggested by ‘Mann, He said that Davinder Singh and Principal Gurmukh Singh were collecting the necessary information to publish a white paper on Operation Bluestar.

Lashing out at CPM leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet, the SGPC chief said Surjeet should cease to ‘be a self-appointed spokesman of Punjab. Tohra said that. Surjeet had harmed the interests of Punjab through his actions and statements. ‘Tohra urged leaders of the CPI the CPM, the BJP, and the Janata Dal to boycott the poll to press the central government to solve the Punjab problem. Such an action ‘would be in the interests of all Punjabis.

‘Thursday, the police did not allow ‘Simranjit Singh Mann, Prakash Singh Badal, Charanjit Singh ‘Walia, Sukhdev Singh Libra and. Joginder Singh Panjrath to attend the workers’ meeting at Gurdwara Dukbniwaran. These leaders were stopped at different police nakas when they were going to attend the meeting and were let off in the ‘evening that Thursday.

‘Tohra, Bhai Manjit Singh and ‘Chandumajra were among those who addressed the meeting at  the gurdwara. Three resolutions were passed at the meeting.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 14, 1992