The Centre on Thursday turned down the Punjab government's demand to release detainees who have been convicted in various terror cases. The convicts include the assassins of former chief minister Beant Singh and are serving their sentences in different jails.
Deputy chief minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal who was accompanied by SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Rajya Sabha MP Avtar Singh, appealed to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to direct the various state governments holding Sikh detainees who have completed their required sentence and are eligible for release under the 'premature release policy' to free them forthwith.
The Union home ministry, however, indicated that legal opinion could be taken in select cases like old people and those having completed 20 years in prison but not those convicted in serious charges. Releasing terrorists convicted in charges like the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh is ruled out, home ministry officials said.
"Sukhbir Singh Badal impressed upon Rajnath the urgent need to look into the issue of release of 13 detainees who are languishing in jails in various states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka and Gujarat besides the Union territory of Chandigarh. He briefed Rajnath that few of the detainees were even 80 years old and one detainee had even gone blind," a Punjab government spokesperson said.
"Badal also told Rajnath that the 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," the spokesperson added.
Facing criticism for seeking pre-mature of convicted terrorists, the Punjab deputy CM said the Akali Dal is not anti-national. "Our party was only endorsing the sentiments of the Punjabis and no one should try to label it as an anti-national party. The same yardstick has been used by the Centre to free some convicts earlier," Sukhbir Singh Badal said.
In a letter on December 24, 2014, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had requested various governments, including Delhi and Chandigarh for pre-mature release of 13 live convicts, including Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit Singh Bheora, who had assassinated former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Moreover, Akali Dal's demand for a pre-mature release of convicted terrorists has irked opposition Congress that is also in the news for the meeting between party spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Gurbaksh Singh who is on a chain hunger strike from last two months in a Gurudwara near Amabala.
Deputy chief minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal who was accompanied by SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Rajya Sabha MP Avtar Singh, appealed to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to direct the various state governments holding Sikh detainees who have completed their required sentence and are eligible for release under the 'premature release policy' to free them forthwith.
The Union home ministry, however, indicated that legal opinion could be taken in select cases like old people and those having completed 20 years in prison but not those convicted in serious charges. Releasing terrorists convicted in charges like the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh is ruled out, home ministry officials said.
"Sukhbir Singh Badal impressed upon Rajnath the urgent need to look into the issue of release of 13 detainees who are languishing in jails in various states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka and Gujarat besides the Union territory of Chandigarh. He briefed Rajnath that few of the detainees were even 80 years old and one detainee had even gone blind," a Punjab government spokesperson said.
"Badal also told Rajnath that the 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," the spokesperson added.
Facing criticism for seeking pre-mature of convicted terrorists, the Punjab deputy CM said the Akali Dal is not anti-national. "Our party was only endorsing the sentiments of the Punjabis and no one should try to label it as an anti-national party. The same yardstick has been used by the Centre to free some convicts earlier," Sukhbir Singh Badal said.
In a letter on December 24, 2014, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had requested various governments, including Delhi and Chandigarh for pre-mature release of 13 live convicts, including Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit Singh Bheora, who had assassinated former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Moreover, Akali Dal's demand for a pre-mature release of convicted terrorists has irked opposition Congress that is also in the news for the meeting between party spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Gurbaksh Singh who is on a chain hunger strike from last two months in a Gurudwara near Amabala.
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