Talking to reporters here, Bhaur said that no-confidence motion taken up against the former SGPC president Tohra yesterday after his resignation, was meant to humiliate the persons who had served the Akali Dal for 60 years. He accused Badal and his supporters of having placed the Sikh traditions and values on the back burner.

When asked if they would support the Badal government, Bhaur said, ``We will give every opportunity to Badal to wake up his conscience. If he does not care about it, then the people of Punjab will rise and we will support it'', Bhaur said.

He said their motive was to ``liberate'' the Akali Dal from the clutches of one family rule.

``We will go to the Sikh sangat and ask it about its opinion on the recent actions of Badal and his supporters'', Bhaur said, adding that Badal had confronted Akal Takht which was a dark day in the history of Sikhism.

Others who were present at the press conference included Surjit Singh Cheema, Harbans Singh, Sarup Singh Dhesi.

Bhaur said the Akali Dal was controlled by Badal, his family members and a small coterie which stiffled any voice of sanity that rose from within the party for its welfare. `` Anybody going out of this coterie is harassed and persecuted'', he said. He accused Badal of wrecking previous Akali Government led by S.S. Barnala in 1987.