Wednesday 28 March 2012

Hindustan Times - Rajoana sentence: Punjab tries to keep matter hanging



Rajoana sentence: Punjab tries to keep matter hanging

Radical Sikhs outfits Dal Khalsa and Khalsa Action Committee have asked the people to observe a 'bandh' on Wednesday in protest against the proposed hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana sentenced to death for killing former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh
 Badal is also likely to meet President Pratibha Patil in Delhi today.

Referring to the bandh, the two Sikh groups said "we appeal to a cross section of Punjabi society to close their business establishments, schools, colleges and shops to protest against the hanging of fixed for March 31.
Prohibitory orders were clamped and police and paramilitary forces personnel conducted flag marches in parts of Punjab which was on high alert ahead of Punjab Bandh on Wednesday.
Security forces conducted flag march in the state for the third day on Tuesday including in Moga, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Ludhiana to instill a sense of confidence among the residents.
Activists of some Sikh organisations took out a protest march at some places today and raised slogans in favour of Rajoana and demanded clemency for him.
Security around the Central Jail at Patiala, where Rajoana is lodged, has been beefed up by erecting additional security check points and restricting the entry of those going towards the prison side.
Official sources said that only persons with bonafide work are being allowed to proceed towards the Central Jail.
Rajoana, as per a court order, will be hanged on March 31 at Central Jail Patiala.
Incoming traffic from neighbouring states, including Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh was also being thoroughly checked at the inter-state borders.
Security along various national and state highways as also around railway installations has also been beefed.
Security personnel have been deployed in strength in sensitive areas and patrolling intensified to maintain peace and order in the next few days in view of the tension over the issue of death sentence to Rajoana.
The SAD-BJP government and the Congress in the state have demanded grant of clemency to Rajoana.
Punjab's DGP Sumedh Singh Saini has directed the district police chiefs to take all preventive and necessary steps to maintain peace.
Police have set up special control rooms to monitor the security situation. Extra forces have been deployed around sensitive installations.
A few companies of paramilitary forces and of the Punjab Armed Police (PAP) have been deployed at Amritsar, Patiala, Batala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and other places.
The All India Sikh Students Federation said it will extend its full support to the Punjab Bandh.
AISSF President Karnail Singh Peer Mohammed, who was present in the court here today, told reporters that the Federation and other Sikh activists will organise debates, hold congregations and conferences tomorrow and raise the Rajoana issue.
Trade and industry bodies have appealed to the Punjab government to ensure peace in the state in the wake of various Sikh organisations giving a bandh call in view of the possible execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana.
"We want peace and tranquillity to be maintained on Wednesday (in the wake of bandh call)," former Chairman of CII, Amritsar zone, Gunbir Singh said.
"It (Rajoana issue) is a political matter and we do not want to get into it. If anybody wants to shut down his unit or shop, he can do so. But we are not going to direct our fellow industrialists to support the bandh call," Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertaking, General Secretary Avtar Singh said.
Punjab is well known for its garment, bicycle and auto parts manufacturing industries