Sukhbir Badal terms NSA, UAPA as ‘black laws’, wants them scrapped

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for the repeal of these ‘black laws’ in the light of their adverse impact on the country’s image as the world’s largest democracy.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday sought a repeal of all the anti-democratic and repressive laws such as NSA and UAPA and called for an immediate stoppage of their rampant and brazen abuse by the AAP government in Punjab.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal paying obeisance at Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib on the occasion of ‘Baisakhi’ in Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda District on Friday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

“This abuse symbolises the communal hatred of AAP’s national leaders against the patriotic Sikhs. It is also an attempt to distract the attention of the people from the incompetence and failures of the ruling party to honour its commitments to Punjabis,” the SAD chief said.

Sukhbir shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for the repeal of these ‘black laws’ in the light of their adverse impact on the country’s image as the world’s largest democracy.

Coming down heavily on the state government, the SAD chief said that it had “turned these repressive ‘black laws’ into weapons of a mass witch hunt against members of the Khalsa panth, especially the innocent Sikh youth. Even innocent members of Sikh families, including the elderly, the women and children, are being subjected to repression.”

“AAP in Punjab is setting a new record in the gross abuse of these ‘black laws’ against the innocent Sikh masses, especially the youth,” Sukhbir said.

Seeking an ‘urgent, immediate intervention’ of the PM for the repeal of these laws, Badal said that among other things, these laws “are being abused to target the political opponents of the ruling party, including democratically elected leaders of the people.”