Tohra institute opens, family not invited

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 16

SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar today inaugurated the Panth Rattan Gurcharan Singh Tohra Institute of Advanced Studies in Sikhism at Bahadurgarh today. But family members of the late Akali stalwart expressed their annoyance over not being invited for the event.

Kuldeep Kaur Tohra, the foster daughter of late Gurcharan Singh Tohra, had joined the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the Assembly elections, claiming that Shiromani Akali Dal had ignored the contribution of the Tohra family. She contested the poll from the Sanour Assembly segment.

But she maintained that as the SGPC is a religious body, it should not have been influenced by the political affiliation of the Tohra family.

“How does it matter to which party we belong? We are his immediate family and the SGPC should have invited us for the inauguration,” she said.

Kuldeep claimed that SAD had always ignored the Tohra family but had continued to use Tohra’s name for political gains. “They continue to celebrate my father’s barsi every year, but have drifted away from his policies. Now, when a study centre has been opened in my father’s name, they did not even bother to invite the family members,” she said.