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Tohra lists conditions for making peace with Badal

Former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra today said he was ready to bury the hatchet if Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal recognised suspended Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh as head of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Another condition put up by Tohra was that Badal should ensure that all Akali MLAs, members of Parliament and Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee partake of 'amrit ' (get baptised) to reaffirm their commitment to the Khalsa order at the tricentenary celebrations.

Tohra declared that he did not want any office in the party or the government.

He recalled that the SGPC had already fixed a target of baptising more than one lakh Sikhs on the occasion.

Unfortunately, a number of Akali MLAs, ministers and SGPC members were ''fallen'' Sikhs and were ignorant of Sikh tradition and tenets, Tohra said.

Meanwhile, Bhai Ranjit Singh, who led a massive caravan of three 'Khalsa marches' last night, said, "Badal should dismount from the 'hill of pride' which the Khalsa never accepted and be a humble Sikh.''

''Badal should surrender at the Akal Takht as early as possible ... It would be in the interest of him, his family as well as the Sikh Panth,'' the suspended jathedar said.

He also criticised Badal and pro-SGPC members of being 'ignorant'' of Sikh traditions and philosophy.

UNI

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