Chandigarh, October 9
Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Punjab Agriculture Minister, his son, Mr Kewal Singh Badal, vice-president of the SGPC, and Mr Amrik Singh Aliwal, a former MP, will appear before Akal Takht on October 12.

A decision to this effect was taken at a top-level meeting of the Shiromani Akali Dal held here late last evening. Informed sources said these Akali leaders sent a fax message today to the Jathedar of Akal Takht saying that they wanted to submit to the Takht to seek pardon for violating the edict issued by Akal Takht pertaining to the ousting of Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara from the Panth in August, 1998.

Despite the edict, these Akali leaders had met Baba Piara Singh and their photographs were published in various newspapers. At a meeting of the Executive and the Dharam Parchar Committee of the SGPC yesterday, Sikh leaders and officers who had violated the edict were told to appear before the Takht.

According to sources, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), will also meet the Jathedar of Akal Takht and other high priests to plead his case before them. He will request them to hold a probe into the allegations levelled against him about his links with Baba Piara Singh. The sources said that Mr Badungar would appeal to the Jathedar that if he was found guilty after the probe, he should be given exemplary punishment, otherwise those who had levelled the allegations against him should be hauled up by the Takht.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the President of the SAD, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, held a closed-door meeting with certain senior leaders of the party at his residence. At the meeting a strategy was drawn up to deal with the political situation emerging in the state following the acts of sacrilege. The main focus of the meeting was on the call given by the Panthic Morcha to hold a “Khalsa march” from Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh on October 17 to seek the dismissal of the Badal government.

Sources said that Mr Badal made it clear to all those who attended the meeting that he was not negotiating for unity with Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Stories were being spread in this connection by vested interests to create confusion in the Akali ranks, he added. There was no scope for unity with the former SGPC chief, he told the senior leaders.

The sources said that senior leaders told Mr Badal that they were prepared to mount a political attack against Mr Tohra but were reluctant to do so as they felt that in the case of unity between Mr Tohra and Mr Badal in the future, they would have to face the music at the hands of Mr Tohra. The party leaders also said that they were earlier prepared to issue statements against Mr Tohra but were prevented from doing so by Mr Badal.