FATEHGARH SAHIB: The radical Sikh youth have thrown a  major challenge to the leadership of Shiromani Akali Dal(Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann who is at receiving end after the expulsion of party's senior vice president Daljit Singh Bittu and his supporters.Mann has also set goal of separate Sikh state for his party.

SAD(Amritsar) faced split following Bittu, a former Sikh militant and about a dozen supporters of him including one SGPC member were on Monday thrown out of the party for allegedly "disobeying" the party discipline.

Bittu who is among the front liner Khalistan protagonists on Tuesday described Mann a dictator and directionless leader. He has announced to convene delegate session of party in September. He said that Mann was running one man show and harming the interests of Sikhs.

Yet in another setback to Mann  two SGPC members and working committee members Ravinder
Singh Khalsa, Bibi Surinder Kaur, and other working committee member Palwinder Singh Talwara, District Fatehgarh Sahib SAD (A) president Jaswant Singh Rajindergarh and 26 other office bearers resigned from their posts to lodge their protest over the expulsion of Daljit Bittu from party.

 With the resignation of two SGPC members on Tuesday, now Mann has  remained with two members of his party in the SGPC.  He had already expelled  SGPC member from Joga Harcharan Singh Burjhari along with Bittu.  There were total  seven members of Mann  in SGPC in this term but two members had already switched their loyalties to Parkash Singh Badal group.

In a letter to Mann, which was addressed to him by the former SGPC member and district Fatehgarh Sahib unit president Jaswant Singh Rajindergarh mentioned that Mann did not take a right step by expelling Bittu.  He said that they were hurt after reading the news about expulsion  of Bittu from the party, as it will weaken the party. He said that Mann should not take this decision by his dictatorship and should had taken the decision after thoroughly considering the decision.
He alleged that Mann's party office is information centre of government agencies. He alleged that 90 per cent party workers often complained Mann in this regard but he has never taken any action in this regard. He said that Sikhs could fulfill their mission of separate state by initiating struggle jointly.

Other 29 members resignation was sent to Mann jointly but signature of only 14 were on the resignation letter and it was mentioned on resignation letter that the consent on other 15 office bearers were taken on phone.

Bittu while talking to The Pioneer said that Mann had no right to expel him. He said that Shiromani Akali Dal(Amritsar) was founded with the blood of Sikhs youth and they are the real heirs. He said that Mann was running the party at his whims and fancies which is not tolerable to Sikhs linked to their ideology.

Meanwhile, the Sikh Federation (UK) – recognised as one of the leading political Sikh organisations abroad - has strongly condemned Simranjit Singh Mann for the stance he has taken against the Khalsa Action Committee and his action to expel Daljit Singh Bittu and 13 others.

Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said, ‘Those with Panthic interests at heart at this critical time are united in their support for the Khalsa Action Committee and their actions against the Sirsa Dera chief.’

‘We have been urging Daljit Singh Bittu and his associates to show restraint and maintain unity in SAD (Amritsar). However, Simranjit Singh Mann and a handful around him have shown they are only interested in maintaining their personal power in the party and at any cost.’