LUDHIANA: Simranjit Singh Mann, who has been declared by his supporters as the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann), called upon the party men to gear up for ensuing ¢lections in Punjab.
Addressing workers’ meeting here, he announced his party would contest all future elections to the Lok Sabha, the state assembly and the municipal bodies independently.
Mann, who was inaugurating the party office on Gill Road to prepare for the political conference during Chhapar Mela, on September 9, said ‘he was touring the entire state to mobilize workers on the issues of supremacy of the Akal Takht and Amritsar Declaration and would try to carry everybody along.
Significantly, Mann has appointed Anup Singh Sandhu, Amrik Singh Isstti and Tarlok Singh Dallaas presidents of his Ludhiana, Khanna and Jagraon units, respectively.
Mann’s decision to jump into the pollarena assumes significance because a few years ago he had been highly critical of elections and have resolved to participate only if these were held under the supervision of the United Nations. He defended the turnabout saying that Punjab and Sikhs needed a new Political party based on principles to put an end to the misrule of the present government. He cautioned the people that if they elected the former chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal to Power, his government would be no different from the Beant regime. Mann lashed out at Badal, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president, G.S. Tohra, and the Akal Takht jathedar, Prof Manjit Singh for behaving like agents of the Congress” at the Center, He charged them with amassing Wealth and alleged that Badal had collected Rs 10 crore from prospective candidates of his party recently. Mann alleged that these three leaders were serving the purpose of the While Prof Manjit Singh, he alleged, had lowered the image of the Akal Takht by relying on falsehood on Amritsar Declaration, Tohra had converted the SGPC into lame duck and was busy removing all scars of the Army action in Golden Temple complex.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 25, 1995
