Khangura: Sukhbir Badal Watches Kabaddi as the Noose Tightens on 17 Innocent Souls in the UAE - 06/04/2010

Jassi Khangura today issued a statement expressing his fury at Sukhbir Badal’s lack of action regarding the 17 death row prisoners in the UAE. Despite the UAE Government’s promise of an Appeal hearing, Khangura said such inaction by the Punjab Government was absolutely unacceptable.  He suggested Sukhbir leave the kabaddi in the hands of others and immediately travel to the UAE.

Khangura said “How can Sukhbir justify his inactivity to the families of those 17 men?  I am horrified that no attempt is being made by the Punjab Government to save them.”

Khangura added “Sukhbir Badal, as Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, has sufficient authority to be in contact with the UAE on this matter. Sukhbir should either be camping at Delhi interacting with the central government or he should be in the UAE directing pleading for a review of the death sentences.”

The Qila Raipur MLA said that Sukhbir should avoid the blame game and instead he should set out very cleary what he or his government has done in this matter, if anything. He added “It is an insult to those on death row and it is a truly tragic for their families that Sukhbir prefers to pursue kaddadi rather than work for their release. I want to know how he proposes to bring these men home, not just to hear his usual abdication of responsibility.”

Khangura stressed “Sukhbir usually visits the Gulf countries on his private jet with family in tow on numerous shopping trips. From all his famed extravagances in the Middle East, surely he would have sufficiently strong contacts in the region to call upon at this time for the sake of his fellow Punjabis.”

He added “Sukhbir cited the case of the US President on a rescue mission to Korea – so why doesn’t he stop talking and take action himself?  He could be there on his private jet before lunch, taking some of the affected families with him. Such a considerate move would go a small way to demonstrating that Sukhbir Badal may actually have a heart and is not the callous politician that we know him to be.”

Khangura said “Only if Sukhbir Badal travels to the UAE and does what he should, can we at least feel the best efforts have been made for saving these men by the Badal clan and the Punjab Government.”

Khangura finished by saying “I doubt that Sukhbir has the humility to offer himself as exchange for the 17 souls currently languishing on death row.”

Jassi Khangura MLA
Halqa Qila Raipur

06 April 2010