AMRITSAR: Striking a salvo against PM Narendra Modi, HM Amit Shah and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for maintaining studied silence on the issue of release of nine Sikh detainees, the Sikh bodies said keeping them under detention, who have completed their jail term was illegal.
Pointing out that there were unequal laws and norms for prisoners in India, the youth bodies led by Dal Khalsa declared to oppose BJP and AAP in case the Sikh detainees were not set free. The leaders asked Kejriwal to break his silence and clear the air on Prof Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s release documents.
Terming the Republic Day as "betrayal day for Sikhs" the three youth organizations on Tuesday said that their groups will organise public rally at Amritsar on January 26 to protest against "constitutional injustices and denials".
The announcement was made at a meeting of heads of SYP, SYFB, AISSF held at Dal Khalsa office under the leadership of Dal Khalsa spokesperson Paramjit Singh Mand.
Informing the media about their proposed rally, Singh said their party workers carrying black flags would organise a peaceful rally and march from Bhandari bridge to Darbar Sahib to mark India's Republic day as Black republic day.
Mand said 72 years had passed and no government at the Centre had ever tried to address the constitutional wrongs.
Explaining as to why their groups were organizing the protest on Indian national day, Gurnam Singh of SYP, Ranjit Singh Taksali of SYFB and Kanwar Charath Singh of AISSF said successive governments have subverted the Constitution to provide impunity to forces and police, crushed dissent by framing the dissenters under UAPA, misuse of CBI and NIA beside Indian Constitution and laws allowing "gurudom" to mushroom.
Elaborating their grudges and grievances, the young leaders said the distinct identity of Sikhs was subsumed under Article 25 (b) (2), the day the Constitution was adopted imposing Hindu personal laws on Sikhs. They further added that Punjab's river waters were being looted in clear violation of non-riparian principles.
They alleged that New Delhi has always treated Punjab as its colony, hence the people of Punjab should stay away from Republic Day celebrations.