Beant Singh assassination: SAD chief urges Centre to set Balwant Singh Rajoana free

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday urged the Union Government to set free Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana who was convicted in the former Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case and has spent over two decades in jail. The SAD chief said, "This humanitarian gesture would be in confirmation with civilized values and justice as Bhai Rajoana has already served more than the effective equivalent of a life sentence.'' He also urged Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and other Congress leaders to rise above political opportunism and back Rajoana's release.

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SAD chief urges Centre to free Balwant Singh Rojoana

Calling upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind, Sukhbir Singh Badal requested to expedite the release of Rajoana as it will be seen as a gesture of national commitment made to the Punjabis in general and the Sikh community in particular. Taking to Twitter, the SAD leader wrote, "I request the Union Government to set Bhai Rajoana free as a humanitarian gesture. He has served nearly 2 life terms in prison."

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Hitting out at the Punjab CM, Badal said that it is so unfortunate that Captain Amarinder Singh has always hunted with the hounds and run with the hare when it comes to dealing with emotional Sikh issues. The SAD leader added, "He tried to please his masters in Delhi by opposing the release of Bhai Rajoana while opportunistically maintaining 'personally he opposes capital punishment' stand." Amarinder Singh is afraid to take a categorical stand for the release of someone who has already spent the best part of his life in jail, he added. 

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Badal said, "In view of this commitment, there is no rationale behind keeping Bhai Rajoana behind bars for even a single day more as he has been in prison for over 26 years - much longer than the effective duration of a life term. His death sentence was changed to life imprisonment and Bhai Rajoana has served nearly twice as much time as a normal life term of 10 to 14 years."

Earlier on December 4, 2020, the Supreme Court had asked the Central government to decide on when will it send a proposal to the President for the commutation of Balwant Singh Rajoana's death sentence for killing former CM Beant Singh. A Chandigarh court had, on July 27, 2007, awarded death sentence to Rajoana which was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on October 12, 2010. 

Rajoana has not filed an appeal against the decision and instead filed a mercy petition before the President. On August 31, 1995, 17 people, including the then chief minister Beant Singh, were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh. 

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(With ANI inputs)