Demand to acquit 309 court-martialed Sikh soldiers long-standing: SAD

Shiromani Akali Dal President and MP from Ferozpur Sukhbir Singh Badal has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has raised the issue of 309 Sikh Soldiers who were court-martialed in 1984. Badal has appealed PM Modi that on the occasion of 550th Prakash Purab of Gurunanak Dev Ji, the Government of India should acquit them of all charges, treat them as Ex-servicemen and restore all Ex-servicemen benefits to them.

"The Government of India is celebrating 550th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Devji and I appeal to you that these soldiers had left the Army in the state of shock and the crime committed by the then ruling party is graver and unpardonable," Sukhbir Singh Badal said. 

Appealing to the Prime Minister, he wrote, "I, therefore, appeal that on the occasion of 550th Parkash Purab, the Government of India should acquit them of all charges and treat them as ex-servicemen and restore all ex-servicemen benefits to them." 

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'Congress had unleashed a barbaric pogrom'- Sukhbir Singh Badal

In his letter to the Prime Minister, the Ferozpur MP has also stated that thirty-five years ago on 1st November 1984, the then ruling government of Congress Party had unleashed a barbaric pogrom on Sikh minorities massacring more that 10,000 Sikhs in broad daylight in Delhi and other parts of the country, adding that the main accused of this carnage is still at large. The Shiromani Akali Dal President further stated that after hearing the news of an attack on Shri Akal Takhat Sahib and Shri Darbar Sahib, 309 Sikh soldiers had left their barracks in a state of shock and were later court-martialed.

While speaking to Republic TV, Delhi MLA and spokesperson of SAD Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, " We have been demanding this for a long time. We met Honorable Home minister Amit Shah and Honorable Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and stated that those 309 Sikh Soldiers are innocent."

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