The family of comatose Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh returned to India on Wednesday and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not being able to bring back an Indian citizen. Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur announced a hunger strike.
“I’m disappointed with the government. The Prime Minister should resign, as he is not able to bring back an Indian citizen. You failed to protect your citizen. They (Pakistan) got freed (Pakistani citizen Dr Khalil) Chishti and you (India) released their other prisoners,” Kaur said at the Wagah border, after entering Indian territory.
Dalbir, Sarabjit’s wife Sukhpreet Kaur and daughters Poonam and Swapandeep, returned to Amritsar, after four days in Lahore.
“I will not eat till he is repatriated to India or shifted to a hospital abroad for better treatment,” Dalbir said. She has sought a meeting with the Prime Minister, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid in Delhi on Thursday.
“I would also like to tell the PM that Sarabjit is still alive and wants to live, but I suspect Pakistan’s treatment and its motive,” she said, adding India should pressure Pakistan to allow him to return.