Relief to Rajoana: Bittu seeks Modi’s appointment

Amid row over the Centre’s move to commute Balwant Singh Rajaona’s death sentence to life imprisonment, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, grandson of former chief

Amid row over the Centre’s move to commute Balwant Singh Rajaona’s death sentence to life imprisonment, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh, on Wednesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appointment over the issue.

Rajoana was convicted for the 1995 assassination of Beant Singh. In a letter addressed to Modi, Bittu said, “Before the implementation of the decision (to commute Rajoana’s sentence), I would like to meet your good self to raise my views regarding the decision and represent my opinion for the security of the country.”

Earlier, Bittu had said that when the Supreme Court had given capital punishment to Rajoana, how can the Union government commute it to life imprisonment.

Bittu said the BJP is indulging in petty politics to woo the Sikh voters even as the Prime Minister has vowed to fight terrorism on a global platform. This move would give a push to the terrorist groups who want to push Punjab into the dark days of terrorism, he added. Bittu said he wants PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to hear his plea.

Beant Singh and 17 others were killed in an explosion outside the civil secretariat in Chandigarh in August 1995. Rajaona was awarded the death sentence in 2007.