NEW DELHI: Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President of the Akali Dal (Mann), resigned from the membership of the Lok Sabha in protest against the denial of democratic rights to Punjab and illegal extension of President’s rule” in the State.
Mr Mann was elected to Parliament from Tarn Taran in the November elections while lodged in jail. He did not take the oath as member of the House because he was denied entry into Parliament building on his insistence that he would carry a 3 foot long kirpan.
He submitted his resignation addressed to the Speaker, Mr Rabi Ray, to an official of the Speaker’s office as Mr Mann was prevented from entering the building again on the same ground. Mr Mann insisted that he had an appointment with the Deputy Speaker and that he had been informed that he could wear his kirpan with him. When the watch and ward staff did not relent, Mr Mann sat in dharna outside the main gate of Parliament. He left after an official collected his resignation.
Later, addressing a Press conference the Akali leader said 2 other members of Parliament belonging to his party Mr Dhian Singh Mand and Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bulara had conveyed to him their decision that they would also resign from the Lok Sabha on the same grounds.
Mr Mann said the Executive Committee of the party would meet at Amritsar on Oct 18, to take a decision about resignation by other party MPs.
He also demanded the resignation from the Lok Sabha of Mr Inder Kumar Gujral who, he said had been elected with the support of the Akali Dal (M). Mr Gujral had no moral right to continue as member as he had publically stated that elections to the Punjab.
Assembly would be held within 6 months of the National Front Governments’ return to power. Mr Mann alleged that all political parties were against Sikhs and were a party to the genocide of Sikhs. Although he was still hopeful that the Prime Minister would do something for Punjab, he wondered how Mr V.P.Singh could decide to extend Presidents’ rule while stating that it was a mistake not to hold early elections in the State. He came down heavily on the BJP President, Mr L.K. Advani if he was so concerned about Punjabi Hindus, why did he not start his yatra from Amnitsar, he asked.
In his letter of resignation to the Speaker, Mr Mann said Punjab had been under President’s rule for 41 months. This prolonged extension of Centre’s rule was not aimed at restoring normalcy but to deny the people of Punjab constitutional, democratic and political rights and to rob them of their dignity.
Referring to the suspension of House rules to adopt the 76th constitutional amendment, Mr Mann said if the rule could be suspended to allow the House to take up a defeated Bill, why not rules to allow him to enter Parliament with a sword. The prolonged spell of Centre’s rule in Punjab, he said, had led to destruction of democratic institutions, a lawless administration without any accountability, enslavement and denial of fundamental rights to the Sikhs and miserable plight of the people.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 19, 1990
