CHANDIGARH/PATIALA: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has announced Kamaldeep Kaur, sister of death row prisoner Balwant Singh Rajoana, as its joint candidate with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some panthic organisations for the June 23 Sangrur Lok Sabha byelection. The decision was taken after Kaur, a day after expressing her incapability to contest the elections, on Saturday decided to contest if given a ticket by the SAD.
“I had a meeting with my brother inside the Central Jail Patiala for a detailed discussion on the topic. I am incapable of contesting the elections as an independent candidate. However, I will contest only if the Badal-led SAD and Panthic factions extend their support to me and SAD gives me the party ticket for Sangrur Lok Sabha byelections,” she said.
“Many senior Akali leaders, including V S Valtoha, S S Maluka, Iqbal Singh Jhunda and others met me earlier in the day and extended their support. I would contest if SAD gives me the party ticket and panthic factions also come in my support. The Akali Dal wants a candidate from the families of Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentence but are still lodged inside jails). The matter of release of Sikh political prisoners has been hanging fire for so many years now but various governments failed to provide us justice. In case of my brother Rajoana, 15 years have passed since he was awarded capital punishment whereas he has spent several years more than that. There is a need for the Sikh panth to unite. I would raise the issue of release of Sikh political prisoners,” she added.
Part of the terror group that assassinated the-then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995, Rajoana is now in Patiala’s Central Jail. Kamaldeep will contest the bypoll on the SAD symbol and file her nomination on June 6. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal took the decision on Saturday after consulting the BSP and panthic partners such as Sant Samaj and the Bandi Sikh Rihai Committee. He also sought panth’s support for Kamaldeep.
SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the panthic organisations wanted a candidate from the families of ‘Bandi Singhs’ (Sikhs kept in jail beyond their sentence). He said: “We hope this highlights the plight of those Sikh detenues. Akal Takth jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh also had relayed a message in this regard to the community. The SAD took all these factors into consideration while deciding to field Rajoana’s sister as joint panthic candidate on the party’s symbol.”
Cheema said Rajoana, who had spent 26 years in jail, was “a victim of police atrocity”. He said: “His brother was killed in a false encounter and his sister in police custody. Even his family house was demolished.”Sangrur bypoll: Rajoana's sister Kamaldeep Kaur will contest if given SAD ticket
On Friday, Kaur had uploaded a post on her Facebook page and expressed her incapability to contest elections, citing her family responsibilities and circumstances. Two days ago, the members of Bandi Singh Rihai Morcha and Damdami Taksal had announced their support for her. Later that day, SAD president Sukhbir Badal had held a meeting with SAD (A) chief Simranjit Mann and urged him to heed the ‘panth’ call and support a candidate from among the family members of Sikh political prisoners for Sangrur by poll.
