SAD(D) urges Sikhs to not vote for candidates seeking support from Dera

Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) president Paramjit Singh Sarna said that Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was lodged in jail for heinous crimes and was allegedly responsible for sacrilege.

File photo of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim

NEW DELHI: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) has appealed to Sikh voters to not vote for the candidates of the political parties who have gone to meet Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, currently on furlough, seeking Dera followers support during the assembly elections.

While talking to media persons on Wednesday, SAD(D) president Paramjit Singh Sarna said Gurmeet Ram Rahim was lodged in jail for heinous crimes and was allegedly responsible for sacrilege. 

“I wonder why the leaders of political parties are beelining to meet him and I appeal to Sikhs to not vote for such candidates who were seeking electoral support from a person guilty of sacrilege,” said Sarna.

While firing salvo against SAD(B) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sarna alleged, “Let alone resolving the Panthic issues, the SAD(B) has instead rubbed salt to the wounds of Sikhs, they are not deliberately resolving the Panthic issues but rather they are making them more complicated”.

Alleging that for SAD(B) votes were more important than Panth, Sarna further alleged that according to his sources SAD(B) had also given tickets to a couple of Dera supporters on assurance of votes of Dera followers for his party.

With regards to the meeting of home minister Amit Shah with the Jathedar of Akal Takht during his recent visit to Amritsar, Sarna said he considered the meeting between the two was a very important one but it lacked the Panthic decorum.

“Giani Harpreet Singh is an acting Jathedar, we would have appreciated if the Shah’s meeting would have been held with the five Sikh high priests but it didn’t happen, acting Jathedar should have called four more priests but he chose to himself talk with Amit Shah and even didn’t informed the Quorum about the proceeds of his meeting, we want to know which issues he took up with the Amit Shah and what was Shah's response," said Sarna.

Talking about the release of Sikh political prisoners who have completed their jail sentences, Sarna said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have announced the release of Sikh prisoners during his Ferozpur political rally which was cancelled. 

“SAD(D) is the only political party that has aggressively taken up the issue of release of Sikh prisoners while other parties are simply making tall claims,” said Sarna.