The Shiromani Akali Dal, on Friday, said that it has “accepted” Presidential hopeful, Draupadi Murmu’s appeal for support in the forthcoming poll. It said she symbolises the cause of minorities, the exploited and backward classes as well as the dignity of women.

Murmu has “emerged as a symbol of the poor and tribal segments in the country,” the party’s core committee said after passing a resolution in favour of Murmu, in the afternoon.

“While our reservations with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over key issues like removing a sense of insecurity from the minds of minorities and justice for Punjab, especially the Sikhs still remain, the SAD is eventually inspired and guided by the ideals placed before humanity by the great Guru Sahiban in supporting the cause of the poor, the downtrodden and minorities including the tribal segments of society,” the SAD said.

The Sukhbir Badal-led party said Murmu not only symbolises the dignity of womenfolk but also belongs to the downtrodden and the minorities for whose cause the great Guru Sahiban made supreme sacrifices,” said the core committee at the end of discussion lasting over three hours at the party headquarters here.

Later, the SAD president met Murmu in the afternoon to convey to her the party’s decision to support her candidature. Murmu thanked the SAD president for the support.

Earlier, the BJP president JP Nadda had also called Badal seeking SAD support for Murmu. Badal had told the BJP chief that a decision will be taken collectively by senior SAD leaders in the core committee.

Speaking to reporters, the SAD chief said the core committee of the party was also deeply concerned over the issues of human rights and democratic values like religious tolerance and freedom of speech. “The party will never swerve from its core pro-Punjab, pro-minority, pro farmers and pro-poor agenda. But in the Presidential polls, the options before the party are limited. The party can never even think of supporting a candidate sponsored and supported by the number one enemy of the Sikhs, the Congress and its direct and indirect allies,” he said.

“Our decision is guided and inspired by our principles and convictions based on the ideals placed before us by the great Guru Sahiban and we have chosen to go by these principles and ideals in supporting Murmu,” Badal said.