Patiala/Punjab (September 29, 2012): Bhai Harpal Singh Cheema, a Sikh political activist and Senior Vice President of Akali Dal Panch Pardhani (ADPP) has reacted sharply to media reports suggesting NIA’s attempt to link Sikh political activists to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
ADPP leader and a practicing lawyer has lashed on NIA and Indian state for attempting misuse of notorious laws to crush the “political dissent”.
“Ours is a democratic political party. We have contested elections and our president Bhai Kulvir Singh is a democratically elected member of SGPC from Phillaur constituency” said Bhai Harpal Singh Cheema.
“Attempts to link ADPP leaders with Babbar Khalsa International is baseless and wrong. Even Indian agencies and police know it very well but they are linking names of ADPP leaders, including mine, with BKI just to prevent us from propagating our political beliefs through democratic means” he added.
“I am ready to face any inquiry for alleged flow of funds and if Indian state is suspecting me for anything, I would extend every help to clear their doubt but falsely implicating us for ‘Waging war against the State’ and various other sections under notorious ‘Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act’ is undemocratic and barbaric act” he added.
He claimed that Indian state was making repeated attempts to implicate ADDP leaders but each time police, prosecution and Indian agencies have failed to prove anything besides planting false allegations through media reports, claimed Advocate Cheema.
He further told that in 2009 similar charges were levelled against Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu, then President of ADPP besides Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur and others; but the state has failed to prove any of the charges in the court of law. Though the case is still in the court but for last three years there is no significant progress in trial which shows that the state does not have any evidence to substantiate the allegations.
We would oppose these attempts by NIA or any other Indian agency aimed at harming ADPP’s dissenting ideology and organizational base, lawfully and democratically, he added.