ALAMGIR(Ludhiana) Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) splits as a faction of party leaders led by former terrorist leader Daljit Singh Bittu announced to expell party president Simranjit Singh Mann and set up a presidium headed by him at convocation held at Gurdawara Alamgir in Ludhiana district on Friday.

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Bittu alongwith his associates was earlier expelled by Mann fro anti-party activities. Both the factions have launched an offensive against each other to stake claim over banner of Shiromani Akali Dal(Amritsar).

SAD(Amritsar) led by Mann has however described Bittu a "cat" operating at the instance of state and center government agencies to sabotage the Sikh struggle for independent home land. Party has blamed Bittu to ahve backing of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Through a resolution adopted at Alamgir convocation, the Bittu faction has set up five member presidium to replace the erstwhile one-man structure of party. Thew five members of the presidium  are Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu, Harinder Singh Khalsa Norway, Gurjatinderpal Singh Bhikhiwind, Harpal Singh Cheema and Kamikar Singh Mukandpur.

The resolution said that Bhai Daljit Singh would be the Chairperson of the Presidium and shall be first among equals.

Besides these five Presidium Members, there would be three Advisors to the Presidium:Justice Ajit Singh Bains, , Giani Harinder Singh, Karamjit Singh (Journalist) and in addition to this  Rajpal Singh Hardyaleana- and Bibi Surinder Kaur(SGPC member)- have been appointed leaders of youth wing and Women's Wing respectively.

The convention has asked Bhai Mohkam Singh of the Damdami Taksal and Convenor of the Khalsa Action Committee to lead on Religious Front of new outfit.

It is decided that leadership and its structure would remain Ad hoc till the next Baisakhi (2008) when the Constitution shall be adopted. And membership of the party from its grass root level would start right now.

Describing today's convention as General Assembly of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), resolution read, "This gathering feel that both the Anandpur Sahib Resolution and Amritsar Declaration demand Sikh State within Indian union but the ultimate goal of the Sikhs is an independent sovereign Sikh State, based on Sri Guru Granth Sahib's Halemi Raj and the litany Raj Karey Ga Khalsa- the Khalsa shall rule, as ordained by the Tenth Master, in a clarion call. We, therefore, firmly commit ourselves to fulfil the spirit behind the Guru's call and the Panthic goal of the Sikh Panth through peaceful and democratic means as also has been held legal by the Supreme Court of India, thus responding to the obligation towards the people of Punjab to implement their UN right of self-determination set forth in the UN charters in order to meet their aspirations".

Second resolution read, "The Sikh gurus and, generation after generation, the Sikhs have laid down their lives to live in freedom, dignity and honour, and confronted the dogmatism and religious hypocrisy, challenging the religio-political oppression of the contemporary rulers. These days too, certain people like Sirsewala, Ashutoshia and Bhaneyrewala are confronting and provoking the Sikh Panth by denigrating the Sikh Gurus, their tenets and principles just to promote their own cult (gurudom) to the distress and dismay of the Sikhs.

The gathering, therefore, call upon the Khalsa Panth, especially the Panch Pradhani leadership, to take notice of these nefarious, sinister and state encouraged notorious people who are committed to disturb the traditional harmony of the people of the state, and to start a grass root level movement against gurudom, foeticide, use of drugs, kisan suicides, crime against women and children etc. "We also call upon the Panthic leadership to dedicate 2008- the Sri Guru Granth Sahib's Gur-Gaddi Year for the eradication of the these social evils.

The third resolution said, "We are strongly of the view that the new Panch Pradhani leadership needs to immediately take up issues facing Punjab and the Sikhs such as health, education, social security, human rights abuses, abolition of death penalty and release of Sikh youths from jails, population transfers, assimilation, etc and make effective steps to abolish section 5 of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act and to get amended the Article 25 of the Constitution which curbs the separate identity of the Sikhs".

It further said that the gathering, with a great gratitude, assert that the Great Sikh of 20th century Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, along with thousands of martyrs, who made sacrifices during the Sikh struggle and all those who are interning in jails in India and abroad are nation's asset would always remain a lighthouse to guide the destiny of the Sikh Nation in its fight for the freedom.

Another resolution said that the gathering at the historic Gurdwara, Alamgir, strongly feel and believe that the Khalsa Panth needs to revive its historic institution Panch Parwan Panch Pradhan- The chosen are acceptable, and the chosen the supreme (collective leadership- Panch Pradhani) in order to find out the best sevadars out of the Panth to take up Punjab issues and implement the Panthic goals, besides consolidating the entire Sikh Panth under the Kesari Nishan Sahib to cause structural changes to fulfil socio-economic and political aspirations of all nationalities, ensuring protection of their ethnic, religious and cultural identities.

It firther said, "And in order to secure recognition of the principles of Sikh polity and the concept of Miri-Piri, socio-economic and political justice, and the dignity of the individual and on that basis, eradicate untouchability, castes, communalism and chauvinism, and to combat dictatorship in leadership, we in the gathering dismantle the erstwhile one-man structure of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and in its place select Five Sevadars (Members) of the Panth in the form of a Presidium