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Rajoana commutation: BJP revises proposed design on Punjab to provide third alternative? Space is there.




Jagtar Singh
Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday triggered tremors in the Punjab political discourse by denying that the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana had been commuted.
Shah made the announcement in the Lok Sabha while in response to  Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu during Question Hour.
Rajoana was sentenced to death in the case of assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh on August 31, 1995 while coming out of the Punjab Civil Secretariat. The Home Ministry on March 28, 2012, had stayed Rajoana's execution following clemency appeals filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Bittu is grandson of Beant Singh.
Bittu asked in the Lok Sabha  as to why the centre had commuted death sentence of Rajoana.
Shah clarified: "Please, don't go by media reports. Koi maafi nahi ki gayi."
It may be mentioned that the first report of centre’s move to commute his death sentence had appeared in the media on September 30 last and the same had been confirmed by a Home Ministry spokesman. The media report was hailed by 5-time Punjab chief minister and Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal.
The Home Ministry informed both Punjab and the Chandigarh administration accordingly  going by the media reports. The Chandigarh administration on November 12  wrote to the Centre seeking clarification on the issue. A media report quoted UT home secretary Arun Gupta saying, “The administration has written to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) seeking appropriate directions in the Rajoana case.”
The Union government had announced the move on commutation of Rajoana’s sentence as a goodwill gesture ahead of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak.
The MHA’s letter to the UT administration and Punjab, dated October 11 said, “It has been decided that 8 Sikh prisoners be given remission under Article 161 of the Constitution and released from prison. The proposal of commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment of one prisoner is to be processed under Article 72 of the Constitution of India. The state government, union territory administration concerned and centre-state division of the ministry of home affairs are requested to take all required action in this regard.”
The basic issue is why there is a rethink in the government now.
Speculation has been rife in political circles after the last Lok Sabha election that the BJP was assessing the situation in Punjab to take a chance in the state as the third alternative after roping in various sections of the population, mainly some known Sikh faces. Punjab has space for third alternative.
Even the state BJP leaders had turned aggressive of late saying the party would like to be equal partner in alliance with the Akali Dal.
Some anti-Badal leaders in the Sikh stream too had been given the by some people at the top in the ruling party, at least this is what they claim.
According to these leaders, in case of an effective alternative to Badals could be cobbled up, the BJP might extend its ‘blessings’ and announce election to the general house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
One such leader had become active during the last few days but at the same time, he had conveyed that he had been given the signal earlier.
However, the BJP seems to have revised its proposed strategy in Punjab after having been hit in Haryana and Maharashtra elections. The Modi government patronised the SGPC during Kartarpur Sahib Corridor inauguration and Guru Nanak 550th anniversary functions. The signal was clear.
Punjab is the only state in the country now where a national minority is in majority after Jammu and Kashmir has been reduced to a union territory. The BJP had earlier inducted some Sikh leaders but none of them is considered effective.
Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been quoted as terming  as "very unfortunate" the statement of r Amit Shah. Hr announced a party delegation will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah and take up the matter with them.


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