‘Sarbat Khalsa’ organisers decide to bury differences

AMRITSAR: As parallel jathedars intervened to resolve the rift between the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and United Akali Dal (UAD), the two radical parties, who played a vital role in organising the 2015 ‘Sarbat Khalsa’, on Sunday buried their differences and pledged to act unitedly.

Amrik Singh Ajnala’s move to resign from the post of parallel jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib was not the only cause of worry for parallel jathedars, the rift among organisers of ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ had also them into a tizzy.

It was in this backdrop that acting parallel jathedar of Akal Takht Dhian Singh Mand and Takht Damdama Sahib ‘jathedar’ Baljit Singh Daduwal called a meeting on Sunday.

They wanted to facilitate a compromise between the two parties.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD-A) leaders, including its president Simranjit Singh Mann, general secretaries Jaskaran Singh Kahan Singh Wala and Jarnail Singh Sakhira, UAD president Mohkam Singh and general secretary Gurdeep Singh Bathinda attended the meeting.

The meeting, which started at around 3.30 pm at Sakhira’s residence in a hush-hush manner, went on till 8.30 pm.

“Both parties have resolved to bury their differences and work unitedly as earlier,” said Sakhira after the meeting.

Sources told HT that the differences between the two parties on several issues had left the parallel jathedars worrying.

SAD (A) leaders were unhappy with the UAD leaders as the latter did not support them and parallel jathedars during the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll. Amid this row, Mann had also described Daduwal as an ally of the Congress.

Sources said these were some of the issues which had created misunderstanding . Mand, who presided over the meeting, convinced the two panthic parties that they appointed him and others as jathedars during the ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ and their mutual relations must be normal. However, the differences took five hours to be resolved.

Ajnala stayed away from the meeting.

SAD (A) LEADERS WERE UNHAPPY WITH UAD LEADERS WHO DID NOT SUPPORT THEM AND PARALLEL JATHEDARS DURING GURDASPUR LOK SABHA BYPOLL