Dal Khalsa terms Vidanti's ouster as 'unceremonious'

Chandigarh, Aug 6 (UNI) A radical Sikh organisation, the Dal Khalsa today termed the ouster of Giani Joginder Singh Vidanti at Akal Takht Jathedar as 'unceremonious' and against Sikh tenets.

" We have no sympathy for the ousted Jathedar, but the manner in which he was asked to submit his resignation attempts to lower the dignity of the highest temporal seat of Sikhism", Dal Khalsa Kanwarpal Singh Bittu while addressing mediapersons here on the occasion of the organisations foundation day.

Alleging that the Giani Joginder Singh Vidanti's removal was a political decision, Mr Bittu said that this clearly means that the appointment or removal of Jathedar's "would depend on theAkali leadership". A condified procedure involving the SGPC, Sih religious organisations and the Sikh 'sangat' should be evolved for such important religious posts, he suggested.

Refering to the term of Giani Joginder Singh Vidanti, he said that it was a highly controversial tenure and he had failed to provide right direction to the Sikh 'quam'. " We had all along been demanding his removal, but not in such a manner", he added.

Meanwhile the Day Khalsa at its delegation session elected Harchranjit Singh Dhami as its next president for a two year term and authorized him to resurrect the organisational structure afresh.

Around 110 delegates of the organisation from Punjab and Chandigarh took part in the session.

Mr Dhami's name was proposed by the outgoing president Satnam Singh and was unanimously approved by the house.

Flanked by senior members of the organisation Mr Dhami said they would continue with the struggle for achieving 'the goals of the Sikhs' with the same spirit and optimism sans violence. Justifying the Sikh struggle for independence, he said the concept of sovereignty and freedom was rooted in religious ethos.

Describing migrants as threat to the demography of Punjab, Mr Dhami urged the Punjab government to promulgate a law to curb the influx of migrants into the state which if not checked would reduce the Sikhs to a minority in their own homeland and alter the identity of the state forever.

The Dal Khalsa vowed to continue with its struggle against the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda.

Coming down heavily on the Hindutva forces, the Dal Khalsa said the Bharatiya Janta Party was polarising the society on communal lines, with the assumption that it will be able to catch the imagination of the Hindutva forces. The BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal were back to the business of spreading hatred, the organisation.

"The day BJP leader L K Advani declared his intention to make the Amarnath land row his party poll issue, it was clear that the Hindutva body would engineer violencein Jammu to catch the Hindu magination", the Dal Khalsa leaders stated.

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