SAD stands by ultimatum on
Udham Singh Nagar: Badal
Tribune
News Service
AMRITSAR, Sept 20 —
The Shiromani Akali Dal chief and Chief Minister, Punjab,
Mr Parkash Singh Badal today reiterated that his party
would stand by the ultimatum it served on the Bharatiya
Janata Party led coalition government in New Delhi to
withdraw support if Udham Singh Nagar district was not
excluded from the proposed hill state of Uttaranchal.
Like Hardwar, Udham Singh Nagar is also a plain area, he
said.
The Political Affairs
Committee (PAC) of the SAD which met at Chandigarh on
August 6 had reaffirmed that the party would continue to
oppose tooth and nail the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar
in Uttaranchal with fierce determination and all force at
its command. It also had decided to pull out of the
13-member coalition if despite all its efforts it failed
to ensure the exclusion of Udham Singh Nagar from the
proposed hill state.
Mr Badal said that the SAD
was determined to vote against the Bill on Udham Singh
Nagar if tabled in Parliament. He, however, charged the
Congress party with adopting double standard on the Udham
Singh Nagar. Mr Badal asked Mr Amarinder Singh,
president, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee to clarify
his stand on Udham Singh Nagar. He said that instead of
misguiding the Punjabis, Mr Amarinder Singh should
clarify the stand of the Congress whether it would vote
in favour or against the hill Bill on the inclusion of
Udham Singh Nagar into the proposed Uttraranchal on the
floor of Parliament.
However, Mr Badal hoped
that the BJP led coalition would fulfil the genuine
demand of the SAD and exclude Udham Singh Nagar district
from the hill state as 95 per cent panchayats of that
district had already passed resolutions for remaining
with Uttar Pradesh. To a question, Mr Badal welcomed the
statements of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, president,
Rashtriya Lok Tantrik Morcha for supporting the cause of
the residents of Udham Singh Nagar. He said that other
like-minded parties too should support the genuine demand
of the SAD.
To another question, Mr
Badal said that he would seek the experts opinion on
enlisting the alleged police excesses committed during
the Congress regime as the State Human Rights Commission
had no jurisdiction to try such cases which occurred more
than a year ago.
Justice Kuldip Singh
(retd) has alleged that Mr Badal was misrepresenting on
the jurisdiction of State Human Rights Commission and had
stated that there was no need to constitute
extra-judicial bodies like "peoples
commission". Mr Badal had said that there was no
relevance of constituting the peoples commission when the
State Human Rights Commission was formed on the
recommendations of Justice Kuldip Singh.
On the visit of Mrs Sonia
Gandhi, president, All India Congress Committee, Mr Badal
said that she could visit the Golden Temple as a devotee
any time. However, he evaded a direct question when his
attention was drawn to the decision of the SGPC and Akal
Takht not to honour her with a "siropa" (robe
of honour), he hastened to add that it was prerogative of
the committee to speak on the issue.
Replying to another
question, Mr Badal denied that there were any differences
with the BJP, he said that his party would consider the
proposals put up by state BJP president Mr Daya Singh
Sodhi on the constitution of a commission to look into
the killings of innocent persons. The Chief Minister said
that his party would continue to fight for the transfer
of Chandigarh and other left out Punjabi speaking areas
into Punjab. He said that the SAD was constantly in touch
with the Central Government for the acceptance of its all
genuine demands without delay.
Earlier, Mr Badal paid
obeisance at Palah Sahib gurdwara (where first
Sikh-Mughal war was fought), built in the memory of sixth
Sikh master Guru Hargobind Singh. He was honoured with
"siropa" (robe of honour by the gurdwara
management.
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