In sync with its tough stand ‘against’ terrorism, BJP-led Government at the Centre on Thursday practically turned down the plea of its Punjab alliance partner, Shiromani Akali Dal, for pre-mature release of convicts, including the assassins of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.
Responding to the demand, the Centre has indicated that legal opinion could only be taken in select cases like old people and those having completed 20 years in prison but “not those convicted in serious charges including the terrorists convicted in charges like the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh”.
The Home Ministry has indicated that it would legally examine the select cases and may explore the possibility of releasing those who have completed at least 20 years behind bars.
The Centre’s decision came after the SAD delegation, led by party president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal met the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh urging him to direct the respective State Governments to release Sikh detainees who have completed their sentences in their jails.
On the other hand, the saffron party has maintained that its stand is always “against terrorism” and it would never support any such demand raised by anyone. BJP national president Amit Shah, in Hyderabad, made it clear that the party did not agree with SAD’s demand to release 13 Khalistani terrorists serving life sentence in five States.
This is not for the first time that the decade-old alliance partners are not seeing eye-to-eye on the panthic issue. The State BJP did not support the Akali Dal in its efforts to save two Khalistani terrorists — Balwant Singh Rajoana and Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar — from the gallows. BJP had also opposed SAD’s plan to move resolution seeking clemency for Bhullar in the Vidhan Sabha.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, harking back to panthic agenda, had shot off separate communiqués to his counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Gujarat besides the administrators of Delhi and Chandigarh seeking “prompt release on humanitarian grounds” of 13 life convicts hailing from Punjab, presently lodged in their jails, after completing their sentence.
The terrorists, whose release has been sought by Badal, include lakhwinder Singh, Shamsher Singh and Gurmeet Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bheora, and Jagtar Singh Hawara — all convicted under Beant Singh assassination case. Besides, the name of another dreaded militant Devinderpal Singh Bhullar has also been included in the list of 13 convicts. Apart from them, Badal had taken up the cases of Waryam Singh, Gurmeet Singh Fauji, Daya Singh lahoria, Gurdeep Singh Khaira, lal Singh, Subeg Singh, and Nand Singh.
Badal’s move came after Sikh activist Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa went on a hunger strike in Ambala in November 2014 demanding the release of six prisoners, including those convicted in Beant Singh assassination case. His fast entered 56the day on Thursday.
Also making the same demand in 2013, Khalsa reportedly broke his fast after he was promises that lakhwinder, Shamsher and Gurmeet would be released. The tri were subsequently released on 28-day parole from Burail jail.
Defending their case, the SAD appealed to Union Home Minister to direct the various State governments holding “Sikh detainees”, who have completed their required sentence and are eligible for release under the pre mature release policy, to free them forthwith.
Sukhbir, who met Rajnath Singh at Delhi along with senior SAD leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar, handed over a memorandum in this regard to him, impressing upon Rajnath Singh to “urgently” look into the issue of release of 13 detainees, maintaining that few of them were even 80 years old and one detainee had even gone blind.
Sukhbir also briefed Union Minister that Punjab government had also, on its part, decided to move an application before the Supreme Court to allow it to exercise the pre-mature release policy for all lifers who have completed their required sentence and were eligible for remission.
Rejecting all allegations of SAD being “anti-national”, Sukhbir said that his party was seeking the release of those convicts who have already served their prison terms.
“We are not talking about people who have not served their term. A wrong impression has been created in the media...There are a lot of people who have served 25-30 years and they have not been released. There are people who are 90-years-old, some are blind and on humanitarian grounds we are asking,” argued Sukhbir.
On the other hand, the Congress party and the SAD’s ally, the BJP, have strongly condemned SAD’s move. “We have always stood against terrorism and this is our national stand. We would not support any such demand, raised by any party, at any point of time,” said Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma.
Another point of disagreement between the alliance partners may increase bitterness in the already spoiled relation between the two. SAD and BJP are in a blame-game against each other over the issue of drugs, with saffron party demanding SAD ministers’ resignation on drug charges.
Besides, the SAD may again have to face embarrassment of sorts after another denial by the BJP-led Central Government to its demands. Earlier, the Centre had refused to give financial assistance to the State Government.