Nothing wrong in pledge: SAD

Referring to the Muhal Nangal villagers' pledge in gurdwara on June 18 to support the Shiromani Akali Dal in the panchayat elections, party spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema asked the Congress on Thursday to clarify what was wrong in that.

Referring to the Muhal Nangal villagers' pledge in gurdwara on June 18 to support the Shiromani Akali Dal in the panchayat elections, party spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema asked the Congress on Thursday to clarify what was wrong in that.

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After choosing Gurmeet Singh as unanimous candidate for sarpanch, the voters of different religions had signed a pledge to remain committed to their party, said Dr Cheema. The SAD reminded the rival Congress that model code of conduct for the panchayat elections had come into force on June 19, while the pledge had been administered on June 18.

Coming down heavily on the Congress for its raising the issue of secularism before the Election Commission, the SAD spokesman said that even in the photograph and the documents released by the Congress, Christian and Sikh communities were together. "What can be a better example of secularism," he said.

Dr Cheema said his party had taken a strong exception to the Congress charge that former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langah had advised the gathering to elect candidates unanimously. "Langah has acted in a way every political leader should do to encourage maximum number of unanimous elections, which are favourable for peace and accelerated development of the villages," he added.