LUDHIANA: Darshan Singh, ex-jathedar of the Akal Takht, hinted that the Akali Dal (Panthic) may join hands with the Akali Dal (Amritsar) for the coming Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections. Speaking to newspersons here in the presence of Sant Ajit Singh, president, Akali Dal (Panthak), and Jasbir Singh Rode, another former jathedar of the Akal Takht, he said parleys were underway with Mann and he was hopeful that the terms and conditions would be finalized within a couple of days. The second list of candidates for the elections would also be announced after that, he added. He also informed that preparations for the September 1 rally to be held here had been completed and added that the former Prime Minister, Chandra Shekhar, BJP supremo Kanshi Ram, Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, besides other senior national and state level leaders had confirmed their participation. He expressed the hope that the Prime Minister was also likely to attend the rally. Darshan Singh came down heavily on senior Akali leader Parkash Singh Badal and Gurcharan Singh Tohra. He accused them of betraying the Sikhs using gurdwara golak funds for political purposes and thereby giving bad name to the party. To a question on an alliance with the BSP, the ex-jathedar said that the leaders of the BSP would fight gurdwara elections on the Akali Dal symbol and no separate symbol would be allowed to be used.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 4, 1996
