It was Tohra's statement which had triggered the factional fight in the Akali Dal and later he decided to keep mum abiding by the Akal Takht Hukamnama (edict) ordering truce till April 15.

He said his continuing as president of the SGPC till April 15 would not pose any danger to the Badal Government but in case his resignation was sought, he would submit it without any delay.

He did not mention Badal by name but gave enough indication of his attitude. He went back to history to hammer his point that it was not the rule of Badal but of the Panth. He referred to the treaty signed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh with the British rulers saying when he was asked whowould implement the treaty after him, the Maharaja named his son. However, General Hari Singh Nalwa was quick to react saying it was not his family rule but rule of the Panth and only the Panth would take the decisions.

Referring to the appeal made by 131 SGPC members to Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh to withdraw the Hukamnama, Tohra said the Akal Takht was not an ordinary court but the supreme temporal seat and the Hukamnama amounted to the order of God. He said the Sant Samaj having support of the people was with the Akal Takht.

Meanwhile in Chandigarh, the supporters of Tohra today launched direct attack on Parkash Singh Badal for encouraging confrontation with the Akal Takht.

SGPC senior vice-president Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, who is close to Tohra, alleged that signatures of SGPC members had been procured on blank papers and these were now being used to question the authority of the Akal Takht. He said these signatures were now being appended to the statements being released byBadal's men.

He held Badal fully responsible for this confrontation which, he said, might push the community into an internecine war.

It is for the first time that the Tohra group has targeted its guns at Badal himself since the religio-political crisis deepened. It was Tohra's statement asking Badal to appoint acting president of the party which triggered the crisis.

He regretted that certain anti-Panthic forces were trying to divide the Sikhs at the behest of the Delhi Durbar. Now the Akal Takht, the SGPC, Sikh sects and principles were the target. The effort was now to damage the institution of the Akal Takht, which the government could not do during Operation Bluestar in 1984.

Bhaur said what was all the more unfortunate was that those being used as instruments in attacking the Sikh doctrine of temporal and spiritual were the elected members of the SGPC. The questioning of the Akal Takht Hukamnama was an attack on the institution in itself, he added.