Expressing its displeasure over the new screening laws at United States airports, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday said that it has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and requested him to take up the issue with the US authorities. The new laws require even Sikhs to remove their turbans while being searched.

"Since the prime minister himself is a Sikh, he should lodge a strong protest against the new screening laws," SAD's working president Sukhbir Badal said in Jalandhar.

He added that India should apprise the US authorities about the sanctity of a turban to a Sikh. Speaking about the ban on wearing turbans in France [Images], Badal said the SAD had taken up the issue many times with the Centre, "but unfortunately it is yet to be resolved".

"SAD has limitations on international issues as only the central government can officially take up the issues with the authorities concerned," he said. Badal added that SAD will support the proposed private bill for giving a separate identity to Sikhism and it will lobby for the bill's passage.

Claiming that the United Progressive Alliance government has kept the opposition parties in the dark on the India-United States civil nuclear agreement, he demanded an all-party meeting for a threadbare discussion on the issue.

"Instead of adopting an arbitrary attitude, the UPA government should convene on all-party meeting on the issue to discuss the apprehensions of all political parties," he said.