Ludhiana – A day after SGPC chief and jathedars met Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa at DMC Hospital, an all-party meeting pitching for the release of Sikh detainees was convened here today.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the SAD (Amritsar), United Akali Dal, Akali Dal 1920, Dal Khalsa, Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj and Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa Sangharsh Committee. They have issued an ultimatum to the government till August 4 for releasing the persons who were detained during a raid at the house of Khalsa on July 21.
Dr Manjinder Singh Jandi, member of the Sangharsh Committee, said: “We have issued an ultimatum to the government till August 4. We want immediate release of the persons arrested on July 21. Khalsa should be discharged from hospital. If the government refuses to meet our demands, we will decide on further course of action.”
He said the details about the nature of action would be shared during the second meeting on July 30. Later during the day, members of various Sikh organisations visited the hospital.
After being denied entry to the emergency ward, they staged a dharna against the state government.
Bapu Surat Singh’s son Ravinderpal Singh Goggi and daughter Sarvinder Kaur flayed the visit of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, Jathedar Akal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh and Jathedar Kesgarh Sahib Mal Singh to the hospital.
The Sikh leaders met Bapu Surat Singh to convince him to end his hunger strike. The visit was kept secret as the leaders entered the emergency ward of the hospital from the rear door. They stayed there for merely 15 minutes. Later, Makkar issued a press note requesting the state government to speed up efforts for the release of Sikh detainees.