Thanks to politics, Rajoana not to be hanged on 31 Mar

Chandigarh: Divergent opinions and politics has ensured that Balwant Singh Rajoana is not hanged on 31 March. Amid growing pressure in favour of Rajoana, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, president of Akal Takht and chief of influential Sikh body, Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC),  today informed  the assembly that he was going to meet President Patil soon and seek clemency for Rajoana. [caption id=“attachment_256196” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] Two days back, the Superintendent had returned the death warrant issued by the Court here that said Rajoana be hanged at Patiala Central Jail on 31 March. While the SGPC has filed a mercy petition for Rajoana before the President, the CBI counsels said the Babbar militant had himself not filed any such petition and accepted his guilt. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reiterated inside the state Assembly here that “all legal options will be adopted by the state government in (Rajoana’s) regard. Out steps will ensure peaceful atmosphere in the state.” On Sunday, the BJP, sharing power with SAD in the state, steered clear of the controversy saying the matter was sub judice. “It is for the courts to decide and nobody has a right to to interfere,” Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma had said. The apex clergy, ‘Singh Sahiban’ has bestowed the title of  ‘Zinda Shahid’ on Rajoana. Meanwhile, Sukhbir Singh Badal of Shiromani Akali Dal said the party would soon seek an appointment with the President to seek clemency for Rajoana “to maintain the hard-earned peace in the state”. Asked if the state government was trying to please the hardliners by seeking clemency for Rajoana who himself has not filed a mercy petition, the Deputy Chief Minister evaded a direct reply. “Our policy is clear on law and order. It will not be allowed to be disturbed. More so, the case of a co-accused is pending before the Supreme Court. In no way, the hanging (of Rajoana) can take place,” he told the questioner. Rajoana is currently lodged in Patiala jail. The special CBI court had awarded death sentence to Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Hawara in the Beant Singh case on 1 August, 2007. Three others — Lakhwinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Shamsher Singh — were sentenced to life imprisonment for hatching the conspiracy to kill Beant Singh. The Chandigarh court had issued the death warrant to the Patiala jail authorities earlier this month, asking them to hang Rajoana on 31 March. Rajoana did not appeal against the judgement. On 31 August, 1995 as Beant Singh stepped out of his office at the high-security Punjab civil secretariat in Chandigarh, a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing the then chief minister and 17 others. Rajoana was the second human bomb to be used in case Dilawar had failed in his mission.       With inputs from PTI