In a statement, Sukhbir said: “Clear cut directions should be given to the state police chief not to register cases against Sikh youth under UAPA for minor offences”.
Wading into to controversy over alleged misuse of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the state police, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday said his party “would fight all such cases of Sikh youth who were being implicated in false cases”.
He also cautioned CM Amarinder Singh against “indiscriminate use of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the state police under DGP Dinkar Gupta”.
In a statement, Sukhbir said: “Clear cut directions should be given to the state police chief not to register cases against Sikh youth under UAPA for minor offences”.
The SAD president claimed that there were “increasing cases of Sikh youth being arrested and jailed for minor misdemeanours under the UAPA. It is clear that the state police is misusing UAPA which needs to be stopped immediately”.
Sukhbir said: “Captain Amarinder Singh needs to give clear cut directions to the state DGP that no Sikh youth should be picked up simply for seeing or forwarding some matter on the social media…draconian charges were being slapped on the youth and they were being dubbed as anti-nationals. Arresting such youth and putting them in jail amounts to human rights violations….Targeting Sikh youth in this manner would not only scar them for life but would also have far reaching consequences including the propensity to spoil peace and harmony in the state”.
DGP Gupta was not available for comments.