Apologise to victims of repressive laws in Akali regime: Dal Khalsa to Sukhbir

In a statement released here on Sunday, Dal Khalsa reminded Sukhbir Badal that the SAD-BJP government had misused all such black laws against political dissenters and opponents from 2007 to 2017.

Sukhbir Badal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi two days ago, seeking repeal of such black laws. The SAD move came against the backdrop of Punjab government detaining several Sikh activists under NSA and putting them in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail in the wake of ‘Operation Amritpal’.

Holding Sukhbir Badal accountable for registering more than 50 cases under UAPA and the ‘archaic’ sedition laws against Sikh youths at different times, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh said more than 200 Sikh activists – including the parallel Jathedars appointed at Chabba conclave – were arrested, but all were acquitted by courts, vindicating its stand that the cases were fabricated due to political vendetta and vested interests.

Captain Amarinder Singh’s then Congress government too had booked an equal number of Sikh activists under UAPA and sedition law as if it was in competition with the erstwhile SAD regime, Kanwar Pal Singh alleged in the statement. Captain Amarinder Singh is now with the BJP. Kanwar Pal Singh said that people have not forgotten how SAD supported a bill – brought by the then BJP-led NDA government at the Centre – to enact another draconian law POTA in Parliament in December 2002. ens