New Delhi: Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally, today (March 9, 2004) felicitated Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on the eve of his "India Shining" Yatra and promised him full support of the Sikhs.

Advani was presented a sword, a shawl, books on Sikh history and a picture of Guru Nanak Dev by SAD leaders, who were led by its Delhi president Avtar Singh Hitt. They promised him full support of the Sikhs.

Praising the alliance between SAD and BJP, Advani said, "Akali Dal (Badal) had supported the Vajpayee Government even during 13 days of its rule without any preconditions."

"Our relations with Akali Dal are from the time of Jan Sangh and they have strengthened with time," Advani said, adding, "the contribution of Sikhs to India's freedom struggle cannot be forgotten."

He recalled that when he had visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he found that most of those who had been given "Kala Pani" were Sikhs and Punjabis.

The Akali Dal also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Prime Minister urging construction of a memorial in the memory of the Sikhs killed during 1984 riots in Delhi.

The Deputy Prime Minister promised to look into their request, an Akali Dal (Badal) release said.

Meanwhile, Hitt said a group of Akali Dal workers would accompany Advani on his yatra, to show their support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government.