Rajoana's second letter: Youth should maintain peace

The man at the centre of a political storm in Punjab, Balwant Singh Rajoana, has written a second letter from his cell in Patiala, asking the state government not to seek clemency for him. The letter also asks youth in the state not to take up arms once he has been killed. [caption id=“attachment_258762” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Protests were witnessed across Punjab today seeking clemency for Rajoana. PTI”] [/caption] Rajoana was found guilty of being a co-conspirator in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and has been sentenced to hang on 31 March. He has repeatedly said that he wants to die as a martyr and is firmly resisting all attempts to have his sentence commuted. The issue has become a political flashpoint in Punjab, with a statewide bandy affecting day to day operations in the state today, and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal vowing to meet the President to seek clemency for Rajoana. A sessions court in Chandigarh turned down an appeal by the superintendent of the Patiala jail saying he could not hang Rajoana, and issued a contempt notice to him for refusing to carry out the Supreme Court order. In his first letter released to Sikhs from inside the Patiala Jail yesterday, Rajoana said, “I don’t need any help from blue-turbaned Akali leaders, who have not done anything so far to secure justice for Sikhs. Akali leaders have started speaking up now as they fear that if they don’t, they will lose their support.” He also called the Akali leaders “cheaters”. The Congress and BJP have indicated that plea for clemency could be filed to prevent the death sentence. “Whatever law allows in terms of petition, in terms of appeal, in terms of reviews, these are there for everybody..,” Law Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters outside Parliament. Reacting to a question whether he thinks that politics is being played over the issue, Khurshid said, “Law of the land is there for everyone clearly to follow.” Echoing similar views, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, “It is the law, which decides and gives rights to all type of applications…so let the law take its own course.” “I think the law should take its own course,” he told reporters. with inputs from PTI