Release of Sikh political inmates Akali Dal's key MCD poll plank

New Delhi, November 24

Ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday said it would throw its weight behind the party that would pledge to “work relentlessly for the release of Sikh political prisoners languishing in jails for long”.

Respect sentiments

If the state yielded before Tamil sentiments, there’s no reason it shouldn’t give in before Sikh sentiments. We need to make every party contesting the MCD poll realise how valuable SAD’s support is. Paramjit Singh Sarna, Delhi SAD Chief

The MCD elections are slated for December 4 and votes will be counted on December 7

Delhi SAD chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said, “After the party unit’s meeting on Wednesday, we have decided that the release Sikh political prisoners will be at the core of the SAD’s electoral plank.”

“The SAD will support the party that promises to work with utmost commitment for the release of Sikh prisoners,” he said.

Several Sikhs have been lodged in jails as political prisoners since the 1980s.

Sarna noted that all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case walked free after 30 years in prison this year.

“If the state yielded before Tamil sentiments, there’s no reason it shouldn’t give in before Sikh sentiments. We need to fine tune our strategy to secure the release of Sikh prisoners. We need to make every party contesting the MCD poll realise how valuable SAD’s support is,” he said.

“We will appeal to Sikhs to vote for those who promise to work for the cause of Sikh political prisoners,” Sarna added.

Last month, he had joined hands with the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal and was appointed president of its Delhi Unit.