Mann released from jail after 78 days

The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, was today released from the Ludhiana Central Jail after 78 days of incarceration. Thousands of party workers had gathered outside the jail to receive him in the afternoon. He was taken out in a caravan of cars. He straightway drew to Amritsar where he would be addressing a party rally tomorrow.

While Mr Mann was already granted bail in five cases registered against him at different police stations across the state, the release orders reached the Ludhiana Central Jail only in the afternoon. Accompanied by party leaders, Mr Charan Singh Lohara and Prof Jagmohan Singh, Mr Mann came out of the jail to a rousing reception by workers who were raising slogans in his support.

As Mr Mann came out of the jail there was a stampede of people for some time. He did not make any speech after coming out. The workers led him out. Dressed in white kurta and pyjama, a visibly relaxed Mann walked a short distance waving to the crowds, hugging people and shaking hand with them before getting into the car.

Talking to the Tribune while coming out of the jail, Mr Mann refused to make a straight comment on the stand he had taken for which he was interned. He said: “My stand is the same and it has been reiterated by my lawyer in the court also.�

He said: “I am not like Badal (Mr Parkash Singh Badal) or Amarinder (Capt Amarinder Singh) to back out from what I say and stand for...You ask them whether they are the same people who signed the Amritsar Declaration along with me in front of Akal Takht and submitted a memorandum to the then United Nations Secretary General, Mr Boutrous Boutrous Ghali�. He accused Mr Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh of being liars and hypocrites.

He said he would continue to fight for the freedom of the Sikh nation. He refused to elaborate, but clarified that his lawyer had already elaborated and clarified. He regretted that the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had ordered his arrest on the advice of SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur and Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Mr Mann suggested that there should be quid pro quo on the part of the Government of India in securing the release of Sarabjit Singh, who is facing death sentence in Pakistan. He suggested that the Government of India could commute the death sentence of Afzal Guru convicted and sentenced to death in the Parliament attack case and Devinderpal Singh Bhullar and, in return, Pakistan could commute the death sentence of Sarbjit Singh.