Despite having differences with the BJP, mainly over the pre-release of Sikh deteneues, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday decided to support NDA nominee Draupadi Murmu in the forthcoming presidential poll. Declaring that it could not support Congress candidate, SAD said: “She symbolizes the cause of minorities, the exploited and backward classes as well as women and has emerged as a symbol of the poor and tribal segments in the country”.
“While our serious reservations with the BJP over prevailing atmosphere of mounting divisive and communal polarization, especially the growing insecurity in the minds of the members of the minority communities under the present NDA Government remains strongly intact, SAD is eventually inspired and guided by the ideals placed before humanity in supporting Murmu as she not only symbolises the dignity of womenfolk but also belongs to the very downtrodden and the minority classes in whose cause the great Guru Sahiban made supreme sacrifices,” said a resolution passed by SAD Core Committee at the end of in-depth and detailed discussion lasting over three hours.
The meeting came a day after BJP national president JP Nadda talked to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal seeking the party’s support for presidential elections.
“The party is also deeply concerned over the dangers posed to human rights, especially to the democratic values like religious tolerance and freedom of speech, as witnessed in the banning of material that highlights injustice to Punjab, especially against the Sikhs,” said Sukhbir, while sharing details of the meeting with media persons.
He said: “The party will never swerve from its core pro-Punjab, pro-minority, pro-farmers and pro-poor agenda. But in the presidential poll in question, the options before the party is either to support a candidate sponsored and supported by the Congress and its direct and indirect allies, or to be led by its conviction based on the ideals of the great Guru Sahiban; and we have chosen to go by the latter.”
Sukhbir also highlighted that several issues related to the Sikh community and Punjab remained unresolved and that the party was committed to do its utmost to ensure they reached their logical conclusion. These included securing the release of all Sikh detenues whose sentences had been commuted by the Central Government on the occasion of 550th prakash purb of Guru Nanak Dev, handing over Chandigarh to Punjab as well as other issues like ensuring the status of Panjab University was not changed.
SAD President, who also met Murmu at the UT Guest House along with senior party members Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prem Singh Chandumajra, and Charanjit Singh Atwal, offered the party’s support to her. “SAD can never support a candidate who had been propped up by the Congress party as the Congress had not only attacked and bombed Sri Darbar Sahib but was also responsible for massacre of Sikhs in 1984,” he said.
