CHANDIGARH India: After the defeat of Mr Simaranjit Sing! Mann in the Rajya Sabha poll the breakaway Akali Dal group is se on the path of confrontation with the ruling group and is calling the delegates session next month. The senior leaders of the group which had fielded Mr. Mann against Lt Gen. Arora who was the official candidate of the ruling Akali Dal met at the residence of Parkash Singh Badal. Among those who attended the meeting were Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra Mr. Sukh Jinder Singh Mr. Amarinder Singh Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Sant Ajit Singh former chairman of Akali Dal Parliamentary Committee. At the meeting it was decided to continue to oppose the transfer of 70000 acres of Punjab land to Haryana in lieu of Chandigarh. It also demanded inquiry into the so called encounters of Police in the recent past. The path of conformation has virtually washed off the efforts at re-conciliation that were being made during the past ten days. Senior leaders of both the groups held number of meetings in connection with the Rajya Sabha election and other issues relating to the party. Reliable sources say that two meetings took place within one week between the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Sujit Singh Barnala and Mr. G.S. Tohra. The first meeting was arranged at the house of Mr. Kirpal Singh Libra an MILA from Siri hind The second meeting took place at the residence of Mr. Sukhdey Singh Dhillon a minister in Punjab Cabinet Mr. Barnala also met the former Education Minister Mr. Sukhjinder Singh at least twice in the past ten days. Mr. Balwant Singh and Mr Basant Singh Khalsa also met Mr. Sukhjinder Singh; contact was also established with Mr Parkash Singh Badal through a university professor who has been acting as advisor to the Akali government. The source says that the talks centered around number of issues besides wanting support for Mr. Manns election. The Dissidents also wanted the issue of Chief Minister ship and party president ship to be linked with it In addition they wanted an assurance from the Chief Minister that he would never again order security forces to enter the Golden Temple Complex besides rejecting the Desai Commission. Barnala was prepared to give assurance on the latter two but he was not “in favor of linking Chief Minister Ship with party President Ship. At one stage the consensus veered round to making Mr. Tobra as the Party President but no final decision could be taken before the polling day in which Arora won comfortably. The delegate session that was earlier fixed for June 20 was postponed by the ruling group indefinitely.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 4, 1986
