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Rajoana goes on hunger strike, Akal Takht calls emergency meet
Rajoana, who is lodged in the Patiala Central Jail, has written another letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Raghbir Singh on Tuesday requesting to withdraw the mercy petition
Balwant Singh Rajoana — a death row convict in former Punjab CM Beant Singh’s assassination case — started his hunger strike on Tuesday morning seeking withdrawal of his mercy petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
Rajoana, who is lodged in the Patiala Central Jail, has written another letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Raghbir Singh on Tuesday requesting to withdraw the mercy petition. In his latest three-page letter, a copy of which is available with HT, Rajoana said he has been writing letters to the Akal Takht Jathedar for the past one month to direct the SGPC to withdraw his mercy petition filed before the President of India on March 25, 2012.
“Earlier, I had been demanding quick decision on the mercy petition. This time, I am seeking withdrawal of the petition. I once again appeal to the Akal Takht Jathedar to direct the SGPC to withdraw the petition. I will not end my hunger strike until the mercy petition is withdrawn,” reads the letter written by Rajoana.
The Akal Takht Jathedar has called an emergency meeting of Panj Singh Sahiban (Akal Takht Jathedar-led five Sikh clergymen) at the highest Sikh temporal seat to discuss the matter and give their decision accordingly.
Hours after the letter came into public domain through his sister Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana, Jathedar’s media advisor Talwinder Singh Buttar issued a communique informing about the meeting, but the agenda was not disclosed officially. However, reliable sources said Rajoana will be the sole agenda of the meeting.
Kamaldeep Kaur said it was 11 years and eight months ago when leaders of various Sikh organisations were first requested to raise their voice on the mercy petition.
“It is after no response that Rajoana had to write to the Akal Takht Jathedar to direct the SGPC to withdraw the petition. I will request all heads of the Sikh organisations to go on fast for at least two days so as to make them understand the pain of Rajoana,” said Kamaldeep Kaur after meeting Rajoana inside the jail on Tuesday.
Rajoana forced to take tough decision: Dhami
Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami reacted to Rajoana’s hunger strike and said it is the result of stubborn and negative attitude of the Centre as well as the allaged autocracy of the Punjab government.
He said had the Centre disposed of the SGPC’s constitutional review petition regarding Rajoana in time, he would not have been forced to go on hunger strike. Along with this, the Punjab government has also complicated the matter by preventing a two-member delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal from meeting Rajoana on Monday, he said.
Meanwhile, the SGPC president also appealed to Rajoana to end his hunger strike by accepting the resolution passed by the SGPC’s executive.
