Chandigarh, August 11, 2022 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a personal intervention and ensure the release of all Sikh detenues languishing in different prisons in the country even after completion of their life sentences on the occasion of 75 th anniversary of independence which is also being celebrated as Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the SAD President said the former had made a commitment for the release of the Sikh detenues on the occasion of 550th Parkash Utsav of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji in 2019 when it commuted their life sentences besides commuting the death sentence to Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana to life.
Asserting that this commitment was an acknowledgement of the fact that holding these Sikh prisoners behind bars and forcing them to go through unspeakable physical and emotional incarceration defied constitutional logic and was also a defiance of the rule of law and all civilized values, Mr Badal made a fervent appeal for their prompt release.
Mr Sukhbir Badal briefed the Prime Minister that the Sikh prisoners had served the full tenure of the sentence prescribed by the courts. “Their period of incarceration in various jails far exceeds the tenure of the judicial orders and stretches up to as many as 27 years”.
The SAD President said the continuous detention of the prisoners was not only strengthening the emotional alienation of the patriotic minority Sikh community but was also giving an opportunity to elements to spread discord and weaken the sentiment of national unity.
He said the fairness and the rationale for the immediate release of the prisoners had been repeatedly highlighted by the SAD and endorsed by eminent independent and well meaning citizens of the country including individuals and organizations committed to human rights and civil liberties in the country. He appealed to the Prime Minister to ensure release of the Sikh prisoners on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of independence.
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