Congress divided over setting free ex-Punjab CM Beant Singh's killer
Taking to Twitter, Manish Tewari said, "We have to move on. I am of the view that Balwant Singh Rajoana has served 26 years of prison. He has been on death row since 2007. Therefore time has come to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment."
FollowIn what could prove to be another political hot potato for the Congress, party leader Manish Tewari has sought for the release of Balwant Singh Rajoana who was convicted in the case pertaining to former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination.
Taking to Twitter, Tewari said, "We have to move on. I am of the view that Balwant Singh Rajoana has served 26 years of prison. He has been on death row since 2007. Therefore time has come to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment."
He further said, "Release him from prison, invoking Section 432 of CRPC. Criminal jurisprudence of incarceration needs to be grounded in reformation and not retribution."
The rift within the Congress on the matter is evident as just days ago, Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu, who is the grandson of Beant Singh, strongly opposed the demand for the release of Rajoana.
Amid the growing clamour for Rajoana's release, Bittu shot a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he told the latter not to accept the demand which could threaten the internal security situation in Punjab and have devastating ramifications for the future.
This after, just two days back, the Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal wrote to Prime Minister Modi to ensure Rajoana's expeditious release.
Also Read | Prashant Kishor gives Congress and Sonia Gandhi detailed 2024 polls strategy
In his letter, Badal reminded Prime Minister Modi of the promise he made to the Sikh community to release eight Sikh prisoners who had served a jail sentence more than the equivalent of a life sentence. The promise was reportedly made on the eve of the 550th Parkash Purab (birth anniversary) celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in 2019.
The Supreme Court had in March this year directed the Centre to take a firm decision on granting a pardon to Rajoana by April 30. The order came on a petition filed by Rajoana, who had moved the Apex court two years ago seeking implementation of a decision taken by the Union Home Ministry in September 2019 to commute his death sentence to life.
Also Read | Congress Punjab Twitter account hacked, 4th attack in last 2 days
