Badal's supporters also collected signatures of more than 60 members of the Legislative Assembly reposing faith in his leadership, to counter Tohra's ``suggestion'' to appoint an acting president of the Akali Dal. Badal holds the posts of party president and Chief Minister.

In another development, Badal is said to have met Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh in Amritsar after he appealed for a patch-up between the two warring factions. But the Jathedar refused to intervene, saying, ``This fight is not in the Sikh Panth, it is a simple fight of two parties.''

At today's informal meeting, 10 of the 15 members passed a resolution asking Tohra to give up SGPC presidentship by January 23, failing which the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner may be asked to convene ageneral body meeting of the SGPC on January 25 to express ``no confidence'' in Tohra's leadership.

Tohra told this correspondent over the telephone he could consider the demand if his ``respected colleagues'' approached him directly. ``These executive members, who have been made to sign on the dotted line, are virtually prisoners of the Government. It is not the voice of their conscience,'' he said.

He, however, clarified that even if the entire executive expresses no confidence in the president, it has no value as there is ``no such provision in the Sikh Gurdwara Act''. At the same time, he reiterated his offer to resign ``in the interest of Punjab and the Panth'' if Badal wanted him to.``Let Badal hold the charge of SGPC presidentship too,'' he said.

Tohra said his associates who resigned from the Council of Ministers did so after being threatened with dismissal. ``We did not retaliate even in the face of onslaught by the supporters of the Chief Minister,'' he said.

SGPC general secretary BalbirSingh Pannu told newspersons Tohra had ``vitiated the atmosphere'' by conspiring to sabotage the 300th anniversary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa and trying to lower Badal's image.

Today's resolution also referred to the celebrations, saying Tohra was playing with Sikh sentiments. ``The management of the gurdwaras has suffered and we cannot be silent spectators,'' it said, adding the SGPC leadership should be entrusted to a person who could devote all his time to religious affairs.

In a related move, All India Sikh Students Federation chief Manjit Singh Bhoma appealed to Bhai Ranjit Singh to summon Tohra for ``conspiring to destabilise the Akali Dal Government''. He alleged Tohra, in league with the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist), was out divide the Panth.