Tohra, who is in city in connection with the tricentenary celebrations of the Sikh Khalsa Panth, expressed confidence in the ``impartiality'' of Fernandes and believed that he would give them the ``justice'' they are waiting for.

Fernandes is part of the three-member committee set up by the BJP Government at the Centre to deliberate on the inclusion of Udhamsingh Nagar in the soon-to-be formed Uttaranchal state. The other two members in the committee are Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and his counterpart in Punjab Parkash Singh Badal.

He, however, warned that in case the decision of the committee went against them, they would withdraw support to the Government. ``Whatever be the decision (of the committee) if it is not what we want, we shall withdraw support, come what may,'' he said.

He refused tobuy the argument that the committee was unnecessary if the SGPC had already made up its mind. ``I don't understand why there should be a confusion. The fact that PM Atal Behari Vajpayee agreed to set up a committee to look into it means that Udhamsingh Nagar is coming out of Uttaranchal,'' he stressed.

Explaining the opposition of the Shiromani Akali Dal to the inclusion of Udhamsingh Nagar, 20 per cent of whose population is Sikh, Tohra claimed it went against the policy of formation of linguistic states in the country. ``There is no linguistic or cultural affinity between the Uttaranchalis and those in Udhamsingh Nagar which is in the plains.'' he said.

He refuted the Centre's argument that Udhamsingh Nagar was necessary to make Uttaranchal ``economically sound''. ``If that was the case why were so many power plants removed from Uttaranchal to Uttar Pradesh,'' he demanded to know.

On the controversy regarding Congress president Sonia Gandhi's proposed visit to the Golden Temple, Tohra said nobody wasprohibited from visiting the temple. ``Only because of the past, we will not accord an official welcome to her,'' he stated.