Manjinder Sirsa,SAD: Shiromani Akali Dal also believes that #NationalRegisterofCitizens should not be implemented.… https://t.co/3mJoZPDwjk — ANI (@ANI) 1579527868000

NEW DELHI: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday announced that it has decided not to contest the upcoming Delhi assembly elections as it was not willing to change its stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act as sought by the BJP , its ally."SAD and BJP have an old relationship. After the stand taken by Sukhbir Badal ji on CAA , which was to include people from all religions, the BJP leadership wanted us to reconsider this stand. So, we decided not to fight the Delhi polls instead of changing our stand," SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said."Shiromani Akali Dal also believes that the National Register of Citizens should not be implemented. We welcomed CAA, but we never demanded that any one religion be excluded from this Act," he said."We want that there should be no law which makes people stand in queues and prove their credentials. This is a great nation and there is no space for communalism," he added.The BJP has been silent on its alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal, its long-time ally, for the coming Delhi assembly elections.When Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari along with Union minister and state election in charge Prakash Javadekar announced the party's allies for the upcoming assembly polls, the name of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was missing.SAD wants Muslims to be included in the citizenship law, in sync with democratic and secular principles of the country.Senior party leader Sukhbir Badal had said last month that people from the community should not be excluded from the new law in keeping with democratic and secular principles as well as the message of Guru Sahiban, who preached welfare of all.The nominations for Delhi assembly polls will end on January 21 and polls will take place on February 8. The result will be declared on February 11.