AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—Hindu nationalist political party Bharatya Janta Party (BJP) has reportedly planned to take up the issue of Sikh political prisoners languishing in the various jails of India despite the completion of their prison terms, with the Central Government.
BJP state spokesperson R.P. Maini said that he had written to State BJP President Kamal Sharma to take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home minister Rajanath Singh for the pre-mature release of the Sikh political prisoners. He said that soon the State BJP under the leadership of the Kamal Sharma, would meet the Prime minister and Home minister.
Maini also said that the BJP has extended its support to Gurbakhash Singh Khalsa who has been staging a hunger strike for the last 25 days at Gurdwara Lakhnaur Sahib near Ambala in Haryana. He said that the party showed solidarity with the demands of Bhai Gurbakhash Singh Khalsa. He said that if the State BJP President took up the issue with the Rajnath Singh, positive results are sure to come out.
Maini said that he also wrote to the central government about blacklisted foreign Sikhs to allow them to come back to India. He said that during the Sikh freedom struggle, many Sikh youths had migrated to foreign countries and are blacklisted by the Indian government. He urged the government to give requisite attention towards these vital issues.
Following a new strategy, BJP leaders are raising Sikh issues. After demanding Chandigarh be shifted to Punjab, BJP has backed the agitation launched by Bhai Gurbakhash Singh Khalsa. Now, its plan to meet central ministers is also part of its new strategy. Following the path of BJP, Punjab deputy chief minister and Akali Dal (Badal) president Sukhbir Badal had urged Rajnath Singh to release more than 100 Sikh political prisoners imprisoned in various jails on compassionate grounds, as they have completed their mandated sentences.
