SGPC is a wing of SAD: Badal
Tribune News Service & PTI

JALANDHAR, Dec 24 — In a clear message to beleaguered SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the Shiromani Akali Dal was "supreme" and the SGPC was an integral wing of it.

"I would have no hesitation in sharing a common stage with Tohra at the Fatehgarh Sahib Jor Mela", the Chief Minister told reporters when asked if he would share the stage on December 26 with the SGPC chief at the martyrdom day commemoration of the two sons of tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh.

"The Akali Dal is supreme... the SGPC is our own organisation. After all, it is on the Akali Dal tickets that most SGPC members have won", Mr Badal said.

Political observers here said the assertive remarks by Mr Badal were a clear and unambiguous message to Mr Tohra who is under tremendous pressure from a large number of SGPC members and a majority of its executive to quit the office he has been holding for over a quarter of a century.

When asked about the eventual fate of the show-cause notice sent to Mr Tohra by the Akali Dal’s disciplinary action committee following his demand made through the media asking Mr Badal to quit the party presidentship, Mr Badal said, "a decision would be taken at the appropriate time".

"Let us see how the situation evolves", was the Chief Minister’s cryptic reply.

"The Akali Dal and SGPC are like the Punjabi ‘khichri’ (porridge) — inseparable and completely integrated. There is no difference except that the party which gives tickets is supreme", the Chief Minister said in remarks which are likely to add a new dimension to the bitter feud currently on between the two camps.

Asked about certain Akali quarters lobbying to get the Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh to intervene in the ongoing intra-party strife in the SAD Mr Badal said, "those making such appeals know better" and refused to comment any further.

He stuck to the stock "no comments" response when asked if the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs was vested with any powers to intervene in political affairs of the community.

Asked about a possible downsizing of his ministry in view of the financial crunch being faced by the state, Mr Badal said, "the expansion would come, he said, "everything would be done at a proper time."

Interestingly, Punjab Finance Minister Kanwaljit Singh had yesterday said in New Delhi that the size of the ministry was being reduced.

When queried about possible re-induction of five ministers who quit on December 14 expressing solidarity with Mr Tohra following a propaganda war unleashed against the septuagenarian leader, the Chief Minister said: "I cannot force those to stay in ministry who do not want to".

However, he denied that any BJP leader or the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had approached him to offer mediation between him and Mr Tohra.

Replying a query, the Chief Minister, said that the ongoing tussle between him and Mr Tohra would not have an adverse effect on relations with the BJP.

Denying any "financial crisis" facing the state, however, he favoured a cut in non-plan expenditure. "The state exchequer is not empty", he said. Speaking on the Uttaranchal Bill the Chief Minister said that the bill would be passed only after the report of the 3-member committee constituted for deciding the Udham Singh Nagar issue on 8 January, 1999. He said he expected one or two more meetings by the committee before it reached a decision. In case it decided that Udham Singh Nagar be included in Uttaranchal, the political affairs committee of the party will discuss the matter. Later the Chief Minister gave a cheque for five lakh to Gujjars at Kishangarh.