New Delhi, April 17
Former Punjab Chief Minister and SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal, Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa party, the SAD MPs and the vice-chairman of the Minorities Commission today met Defence Minister George Fernandes over the resignation of Air Marshal M S Sekhon from the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Sources said Mr Badal and the other leaders sought a review of the decision pertaining to the former IAF officer who was asked to put in his papers last month over the “political help’’ sought by him for a posting.

Mr Sekhon had sought favour from Mr Badal, when he was the Chief Minister, for a coveted posting through a letter which later became public.

The leaders told the Defence Minister that Mr Sekhon was a highly decorated officer who had been given a heavy punishment for an “inadvertent mistake.’’

They said that there was a feeling among the public also for a review of decision about Mr Sekhon.

The leaders, who also included party MPs Sukhbir Singh Badal, Zora Singh Mann and Tarlochan Singh Tur besides Mr Manpreet Singh Brar, MLA, drew the attention of the Defence Minister towards the demand for a cantonment near Anandpur Sahib and shifting of regimental centres of Sikh and Punjab Regiments closer to Punjab.

Mr Badal, who yesterday met Home Minister L. K. Advani, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee tomorrow.

On the demand for the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Shiromani Akali Dal has said that Chief Ministers were responsible to their legislatures and only the state assemblies had the right to decide on their leaders.