Chandigarh, June 10: Shiromani Akali Dal today supported the status of "martyr" given to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale by the Akal Takht recently. "Whatever the Akali Dal will have to accept to maintain peace and harmony in Punjab, it will do," SAD president Prakash Singh Badal told reporters here.

The former chief minister was reacting to recent granting of the status of "martyr" by the Akal Takht to Bhindranwale, believed to be main architect of militancy in Punjab in 1980s.
Besides Bhindranwale, about 400 Sikhs killed in Operation Blue Star in 1984 were all martyrs, Badal said.

"After Bhindranwale is declared martyr it has put an end to a controversy whether he is alive or dead," Badal said, addingthat "now at least it was clear that Bhindranwale is dead".
Nineeten years after Bhindranwale was killed in a military operation to flush out terrorists from Golden Temple he was declared a "martyr" by Akal Takht on June 6.
The decision was described as "unfortunate" by the BJP.

Bureau Report