The demand for the release of Sikh prisoners languishing in different jails across the country even after completing their sentences gained momentum on Thursday, with the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal seeking Centre’s “immediate intervention” in the matter.
Also the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president, Sukhbir maintained that he would soon write to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to sympathetically review the cases of such Sikh prisoners and “release them on compassionate grounds”. “More than 100 Sikh political prisoners have been lodged in various jails on compassionate grounds who have completed their sentences…some of them are in jails for more than 25 years,” said Sukhbir while answering the media queries regarding indefinite fast being observed by Kurukshetra-resident Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa at Ambala for release of Sikh prisoners.
“I am writing to Union Home Minister in this regard seeking release of jailed Sikhs, who have already completed their sentences. Centre should consider sympathetically the issue of jailed Sikhs on compassionate grounds and free them under rehabilitation policy introduced in some other states to bring them into mainstream,” said Sukhbir. SAD MPs had already raised this issue in both the houses of the Parliament, bringing the matter in the notice of the Union Home Minister.
NO ONE TO FUNCTION FROM CAMP OFFICES
Chandigarh: Giving clear message to the civil and police administration in the state to remain present in their respective offices well in time for facilitation of common masses, Sukhbir Badal directed that no officer would work from their camp offices.
“Not only myself, but all the ministers of state too would conduct surprise visits in government offices to oversee functioning as well as public facilities,” said Sukhbir.
EC TO DECIDE ON CIVIC BODY POllS
Chandigarh: Sukhbir has made it clear that there was no delay on the part of the State Government in the announcement of municipal elections in the state. “The state government is ready to conduct the urban local bodies (UlBs) elections as per the convenience of Election Commission,” he said
Sukhbir said that already the government has issued notifications of three Municipal Corporations and 85 UlBs while notification for remaining will be issued within day or two. He said that hopefully, the municipal elections would be conducted in the month of January.
SAD TO CONTEST from FOUR SEATS
Chandigarh: SAD will field its candidates from four seats, said SAD chief Sukhbir Badal. At the same time, he was unsure about the number of seats the party would contest under its symbol.
“We are going to contest four seats. Regarding the symbol, two are sure,” he said. Sukhbir stressed that SAD had registered unprecedented victory on three seats out of four, “and I am confident that in ensuing assembly elections, SAD would easily secure win over these four seats”.