SANGRUR: Mr Simranjit Singh Mann president Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) said that the militants as well as the government should refrain from attacking the freedom of press and added that it is also the duty of the media men to put the truth before the public and focus on the oppression let loose by the government.
Mr Maan was talking to media men recently after addressing a congregation on the eve of the death anniversary of Sant Attar Singh at Gurdwara Mastuana Sahib about six km from here.
In reply to a question he lashed out at the extortionists and said that the public especially the Sikhs would eliminate such persons however mighty they may be. He called them enemies of Sikhs and said they were defaming the struggle of the militants.
He added that no accord with the Centre would be signed without the involvement of the militants on the negotiation table.
He refuted the charges that he wanted to reap political honest by submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister. He said if he had any lust for power he would not have resigned from the post of any IPS officer or from the Lok Sabha seat. He would also have failed in his mission to bring the various Akali factions together on a common platform after leaving his president ship and managed election of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief unanimously with consensus. Hitting hard at the Bharatiya Janata Party Leftists and the Congress Mr Mann accused them of creating hurdles in their demand for a Sikh sovereign state and accused them of trying to sabotage The Sikh struggle.
Vehicles Act by ordering to challan the vehicles who have written their number plates in Punjabi script and said that he should act within the framework of the law of the land. He said that whenever he or his party resumed power Sant Attar Singh College Mastuana would be turned to Sikh university.
He urged the Hindus to tum Amritdhari but added non-Amrits dhari Hindus would also enjoy the same status in the Sikh sovereign state.
Ms Bimal Kaur Khaisa Member Parliament also spoke on the occasion she warned the Punjab Government to desist from repression let loose on the Sikh youths by the Punjab police. She alleged that the militants released from the Nabha jail were implicated in false cases immediately after their release.
She warned that if the police did not refrain from such repressions its repercussions would be bad.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 8, 1991
