category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal today joined the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) signature campaign seeking release of Bandi Singhs in villages across the State by signing a petition at the gurdwara in Badal village. Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal also joined the campaign by signing a petition in this regard at Badal. The SAD President while talking to media persons after signing the form at the Gurughar in Badal village said that it was an honour to join lakhs of Punjabis in signing the petition seeking release of Sikh detainees who continued to be incarcerated in prisons even after completion of their life sentences. He appealed to SAD workers to assist the SGPC in making the signature campaign drive a mass movement by taking it to each and every village in the State. He said that all Punjabis should sign these form irrespective of their party affiliations. He said that this only can make this movement and success and he urged Punjabis, including SAD workers, to strive to complete this drive by Baisakhi. He said that for a record six times file of Prof. Davinderpal Singh Bhullar was sent to government led by Arvind Kejriwal to release Prof. Bhullar but he refused to release him. He said that similarly Bhagwant Mann led government has refused approval for release of Gurmeet Singh Engineer. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to release these Bandi Sikhs on 550th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev ji but his promise was never kept. He said that rule of law should be same for everyone. He said that every prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment is released after 14 years of imprisonment but these bandi Sikhs were lying in jails even after more than 30 years of imprisonment. Responding to a question of media, Mr. Badal said that when thousands of Sikhs were massacred in attack on Sri Darbar Sahib in 1984 and Sikh massacre. He said that these persons were emotional who took revenge on atrocities committed on them. He said that Congress was to blame for these acts. He said that S. Parkash Singh Badal led government even refused to execute orders of court for execution of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana and instead he contacted Chief Ministers of different states for bringing these bandis Sikhs to Punjab. Meanwhile the campaign was also launched at the Shiromani Akali Dal head office here in which former minister Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema led the campaign by signing the form. Chandigarh unit President Hardeep Singh Buterla and a large number of workers also participated wholeheartedly in the signature campaign drive. (editor dailyworld.in)