LUDHIANA: The president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, has rejected the ban on Panthic rallies by Chief Minister Beant Singh who has also asked the people not to participate in such rallies,
On his release from jail, Mann told reporters recently that the Akalis would not be deterred by government bans and threats and will go ahead with their proposed rallies at Latala, Behla and Dhulkot and even in front of the Supreme Court in Delhi.
Mann reminded Beant Singh that rallies had been disallowed earlier by Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Partop Singh Kairon, S.S.Ray and J.F.Ribeiro but the Akalis never yielded to their wishes.
He termed the action of the police at Alamgir, as an attack on Sikhism. He asserted that in Sikhism, religion and politics were inseparable and political speeches could not be barred in gurdwaras. He said dates of new conventions would be finalized soon.
Mann strongly criticized the alleged sacrilege of gurdwara at Alamgir committed by the police which went inside wearing shoes and dragged SGPC chief G.S.Tohra out of the sanctum sanctorum.
We will not be deterred Mann. Reiterating his plea on the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, Mann supported the stand taken by Pakistan which had passed a resolution on the matter in its National Assembly. He remarked that the government of India often rode rough shod over the rights of minorities. He called upon all Muslims countries to unitedly intervene in the matter to save Babri mosque from demolition,
Meanwhile, the Youth Akali Dal (Badal) president, Amrik Singh Aliwal, has appealed to the Chief Minister to tender a public apology for Sunday’s sacrilege. He said until this demand was met, his party would be organizing weekly protest Akhand paths at Alamgir gurdwara every Sunday.
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