Written by: Express News Service
3 min readMohaliDec 9, 2013 03:38 AM IST
First published on: Dec 9, 2013 at 03:38 AM IST
Supporters of Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa,on Sunday,alleged that his family and lawyer were not being allowed to meet him in Ropar jail. At the same time they condemned Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh’s statement about Gurbaksh’s fast going against Sikh principles.
“The jail authorities remained tight-lipped as we repeatedly asked them to let us meet Gurbaksh,which is our legal right. They even refused to take our application and did not give us any written response even when we asked,” said advocate Amar Singh Chahal.
Talking about Gurbachan’s stand on the issue,SAD (Panch Pardhani) president Harpal Singh Cheema said,“Earlier he supported us. The Akal Takht even organised a march in our support. Even when he came here,he sympathised with the strike. However,after he reportedly met Sukhbir Singh Badal,he has taken a U-turn.”
Cheema also said similar hunger strikes,being reported from Ferozepur and Jammu,should not continue as any action related to Gurbaksh’s fast should first be discussed with them to ensure the movement stays peaceful.
Gurbaksh,who is on an indefinite fast demanding release of six prisoners he claims have completed their terms,is currently under preventive custody in Ropar jail.
After he was ‘picked up’ by police late on Thursday night,his supporters ‘replaced’ him with volunteer Damandeep Singh.
Damandeep,while talking to the media,said Gurbaksh’s release from jail has been added to their demands and he will not break his fast until all seven prisoners are released.
Punjab may get its own AAP
MOHALI: Former DGP (Prisons) of Punjab,Shashi Kant,who has been supporting the hunger strike,on Sunday said the response to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi has triggered a nation-wide wave of clean politics. Various ‘non-political’ individuals and organisations,centred around Gurbaksh’s fast,were conceptualising the formation of a similar party in Punjab that would be called either ‘Justice Party’ or ‘Ghadar Party’,according to Kant. “We would want a party consisting of credible members,including retired judges,lawyers,teachers and other people with non-political backgrounds. The party,if formed,would be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge,” said Shashi Kant.
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