CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal (Mann) has demanded independent and sovereign Sikh state.

In a statement from Dalhousie and released by the party office here on Tuesday its president Simranjit Singh Mann said nothing less than this would be acceptable to him.

At the same time he said the center would not hold elections in Punjab and the people had been divested of this right thrice by amending the constitution. All the Governors during this period made false promises about holding elections and the Sikhs had now no faith in the government.

He said the government should learn from the developments in the Soviet Union. The Indian government would have to concede the demand raised by some states for independence it would be better if the Indian government following the footsteps of Soviet Union accepted this demand without any bloodshed.

He alleged the police repression had crossed all limits and innocent Sikh youths were being killed in fake encounters women were ill-treated and old persons were humiliated He also referred to economic exploitation of the Sikhs.

Mann lashed out against the two communist parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party dubbing them as opportunists and communal who had always encouraged the anti-Sikh lobby. These parties always supported the anti-Sikh policies of the center. He gave a call for social economic and political boycott of these parties.

He strongly condemned the deployment of army in Assam saying it was violative of the St.Petersburg convention to which India was a signatory. As per this convention army could not be deployed against its own people.

Commenting upon the controversy regarding some Shiromant Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee leaders having met the Pakistan Prime Minister he said in case such a meeting had taken place it would not be a crime and these leaders should not be afraid of the disclosure.

He condemned the arrest of some of his party leaders in Ropar and Patnata districts to prevent them from participating in the bhog ceremonies of the militants.

In a separate statement the party” lambasted the former SGPC” president Gurcharan Singh Pots: for supporting the call to boycott elections on the one hand and criticizing the postponement of elections on the other pea said in view of the decision: at Anandpur Sahib conclave boycott the elections it was immaterial to the Sikhs whether the elections were held or not.

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