Chandigarh, Aug. 16 :    Chandigarh, Aug. 16:  Shiromani Akali Dal leaders are pressuring Parkash Singh Badal to delete the word 'Sikh' from a constitutional clause that clubs the community along with the Hindus. The clause has been referred to in the party's 23-page report to be submitted shortly to the national commission of the Constitution review committee. The report discusses how to bring the national polity 'along truly federal lines and the need to recast the Constitution to ensure greater fiscal, legislative and political devolution of powers to the states'. Explanation II in sub clause (b) of clause 2 of Article 25 states that 'the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina or Buddhist religion, and the reference to Hindu religious institutions shall be construed accordingly'. The clamour for deleting 'Sikh' from the article is being seen as a dangerous move by the Punjab BJP. 'It is fraught with dangerous consequences,' said state president Brij Lal Rinwa. He supported a separate identity for Sikhs and hinted a debate should be held on their demand for a wider minority status. The Akalis have been constantly harping that Sikhs are not Hindus. The Khalistani movement, too, found support from a section of the Sikhs who did not consider themselves Hindus. 'Article 25 is too harsh on the Sikhs. After all, we are not Hindus and do not even look like them. Our ancestors may have been Hindus and Muslims but we are a separate community and the Constitution must respect that viewpoint. So long as Sikhs are branded with the Hindus, there will always be tension in Punjab,' a senior Akali leader said. While the Centre has been briefed by the state BJP on the repercussions an amendment to Article 25 could have, radical Akali leaders like Simranjit Singh Mann and Gurcharan Singh Tohra have supported the move. 'This is the right time to ask the Centre to give in to the demands of the Sikhs. It is now or never,' said Charan Singh, secretary general of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Other leaders believe that once the word 'Sikh' is removed from Article 25, the road to Khalistan will become smoother. 'That would amount to accepting that the Sikhs are a different race, making the formalities at the United Nations for a separate state easier,' a leader said. According to Institute of Sikh Studies chief Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, Badal is unlikely to give in to pressure from his partymen . 'He has his own axe to grind with the Centre and with Punjab totally dependent on Delhi, he is not likely to incorporate Article 25 in his party's report to the Constitution review committee. To him the role of the Planning Commission vis-à-vis the states is more important,' he added. The report comes down sharply on the Planning Commission, saying it has 'assumed the status of a parallel government'. It also stresses on the implementation of the 1978 resolution of the Anandpur Sahib Convention as laid before the Sarkaria Commission. It seeks a federation, not a union, of states with the Centre retaining only defence, currency, foreign affairs and telecommunication.