Akali Dal, SGPC to take up Rajoana’s case with Centre

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 15

A day before the start of the indefinite fast announced by Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict on death row for the assassination of then Chief Minister Beant Singh, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) assured him that they would take up his case with Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

However, Rajoana, who is lodged in the Central Jail here, is adamant on going ahead with the fast.

“I appeal to Rajoana not to sit on a hunger strike as we will meet Rajnath Singh on July 18 and take up his mercy petition,” said SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra. “We will appeal to the Home Minister to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment,” he added.

On Saturday, Rajoana had flayed the SGPC and the SAD for not following up on the mercy petition moved on his behalf before the President in 2012.

As per sources, Rajoana said he could not trust the SGPC and the SAD as they had promised to take up his case with the Home Minister two years ago, but had later forgotten about the matter.

Talking to The Tribune, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said he had spoken to Rajoana and assured him that the Sikh body would leave no stone unturned to highlight his case before the Centre.

In 2012, the Centre had stayed his hanging two days before the schedule date of March 31 after the President referred the matter to the Union Home Ministry following an Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee petition. Rajoana had refused to file a mercy petition himself.

TALKING TOUGH

On Saturday, Rajoana had flayed the SGPC and the SAD for not following up on the mercy petition moved on his behalf before the President in 2012. As per sources, Rajoana said he could not trust the SGPC and the SAD as they had promised to take up his case with the Home Minister two years ago, but had later forgotten about the matter.