Akali Dal asks Trump administration to take humanitarian view of truck driver Harjinder

Chandigarh, Aug 25 The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday passed a resolution appealing to the Trump administration to take a humanitarian view of truck driver Harjinder Singh’s case, even as it appealed to the Indian government to extend consular and legal assistance to the Sikh youth and ensure he has access to legal remedies.

The resolution was passed during a meeting of the senior leadership from six districts of Punjab under the chairmanship of party President Sukhbir Badal. The meeting also decided to conduct a political conference in Moga on August 28, which has been designated as a Fateh rally to lay out the party programme to take on centrist parties, which have ruined Punjab.

Leaders assured the SAD president that more than two lakh Punjabis would congregate at the party conference to sound the bugle for the end of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rule in Punjab and the advent of the SAD government in 2027. The party also passed a resolution asking the Centre and the state government to stop politics over ration cards and ensure justice to all beneficiaries of the atta-daal scheme. It said presently, Punjabis were suffering because no pulses were being supplied under the scheme, and even the quantity of wheat being supplied by the Centre had been drastically reduced.

The party also highlighted that people were the losers whether the Centre stopped supply due to eKYC update or the state government deleted ration cards on political considerations.

Meanwhile, speaking about the resolution on trucker Harjinder Singh, the SAD chief described the former as a hard-working member of the Punjabi and Sikh diaspora who deserved a fair trial following an accident which caused a fatal crash.

Badal said Punjabis were deeply hurt to learn that Harjinder Singh was produced in the court without a turban, which was an inseparable and sacred article of faith for every Sikh. “This insensitive act has pained the Sikh community worldwide”, he said.

The resolution, which also expressed the party’s heartfelt sympathies with the families who lost their loved ones in the accident, urged the US government to take a humanitarian view of the entire issue, keeping in mind Harjinder’s background, circumstances and the contribution of the Punjabi community.

While urging the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure that all avenues of legal defence were made available to Harjinder through the Indian Embassy and consulate, it also requested the Punjab government to stand in solidarity with Harjinder’s family and extend appropriate support to it.

The SAD in the resolution acknowledged the immense contribution of Punjabi and Sikh truck drivers to the economies of both India and the US and also reaffirmed its commitment to stand with the global Punjabi community and ensure justice, dignity and humanitarian support to all.

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