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
