Punjab to bear expenses on transportation of bodies: Badal

Badal contacted Indian Ambassador to US Nirupama Rao on telephone late last night and informed her that the Punjab government would extend all possible help to the bereaved families of the victims of the ghastly incident.

The Chief Minister also sought cooperation from the Indian Embassy in the US to facilitate the smooth transportation of the bodies by keeping a close liaison with the concerned agencies in the US government, according to an official spokesman here.

Yesterday, Badal visited the residence of two brothers Sita Singh and Ranjit Singh, who were killed in the shootout incident, at Tilak Nagar in New Delhi, to express his grief, the spokesman said.

Badal also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of the victims.

Yesterday Badal had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up with the Obama administration the issue of safety and security of Sikhs living in the US.

Meanwhile, Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged the US government to ensure protection of Sikhs and Punjabis residing in the country and to take appropriate steps to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future.

Sukhbir, who discussed at length the whole incident in a meeting held here today with Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Advisor to the state Chief Minister, and the party Secretary and Spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema, also sent a written memorandum to the Ambassador of the USA at New Delhi.

In the memorandum, Sukhbir asked the US Ambassador to take immediate steps to safeguard the interest of the Sikhs and other Punjabis residing in the US and said that the ghastly act has created ripples in the community world over.