LUDHIANA: Dissident Akali Jeader Jagdev Singh Talwandi has publicly supported the move to make Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra leader of a combined Akali Dal. He told a meeting of the S.G.P.C. executive at Sangh Dhesian that Jathedar Tohra was capable of leading such a combination and he would gladly accept his leadership.
Talwandi asked followers of Tohra to encourage him to accept ‘the proposal. Former chief minister Surjit Singh Bamala who heads a small splinter group has also been quoted as stating that he would accept the leadership of Tohra and would dissolve his separate group to merge it into the Akali mainstream party.
Tohra himself is said to be reluctant about the move and does not want a confrontation with Parkesh Singh who now heads to Badal Akali Dal. Tohra also belongs to this Dal.
However, Akali activists belonging to the Mann Akali Dal have not taken kindly to the proposal, They say that without thrashing out issues no amount of Akali unity could bring about any change in the situation.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 12, 1993
