AMRITSAR: Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh termed the incident of turning away the two-member delegation of Shiromani Akali Dal from outside the jail, who went to meet Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana detained in Patiala Central Jail, as an inhuman act of taking away democratic rights.
Giani Raghbir Singh said in a statement that Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana has been detained in an 8-foot gallows for the past 17 years and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak on the orders of Sri Akal Takht Sahib to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. About 11 years on the petition submitted by the committee to the PresidentNot having any decision even after passing is a huge violation of human rights.He said that according to the orders given by Shri Akal Takht Sahib to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee regarding the necessary action regarding the settlement of the pending petition regarding Bhai Rajoana, a two-member delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal went to meet Bhai Rajoana today. Because Bhai Rajoana had announced a hunger strike in the jail on December 5 and this delegation went to appeal to him not to go on hunger strike.
He said that instead of cooperating with the prison administration on this very critical and sensitive issue related to human rights, turning the delegation away from the prison without meeting them raises big questions about the intentions of the Punjab government.
He said that it is a democratic right of every prisoner to meet his relatives, but today the administration has expressed its intention by stopping the delegation of Shiromani Akali Dal along with Bhai Rajoana .
He said that the Punjab government should refrain from creating an atmosphere that creates tension and instead of a stubborn attitude, it should adopt an approach that protects the human rights of the Bandi Singhs so that a harmonious and conducive environment remains in Punjab.