SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Virsa Singh Valtoha denied permission to meet Balwant Singh Rajoana

SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Virsa Singh Valtoha were denied permission to meet Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singhs assassination case, at the Patiala Central Jail.

Chandigarh, Dec 4: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Monday alleged that he and party leader Virsa Singh Valtoha were denied permission to meet Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh's assassination case, at the Patiala Central Jail.

SAD leaders claim they had permission

The Akali leaders claimed that they had the requisite permission from the additional director general of police prisons to meet Rajoana, but the Patiala central superintendent said the denial of permission was conveyed to Majithia through the phone.

Majithia and Valtoha wanted to meet Rajoana to urge him not to go on hunger strike

Majithia and Valtoha wanted to meet Rajoana to urge him not to go on a hunger strike. Rajoana had threatened to go on the strike from December 5 to seek the withdrawal of his mercy petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to the President in 2012.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami defends filing mercy petition

The SGPC had filed the petition keeping Panthic sentiments in mind and it is not in the interest of the community to withdraw it, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had said on Sunday.

Majithia alleges denial of permission was directed by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

Majithia alleged that they were not allowed to meet at the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The former minister accused jail authorities of not giving any satisfactory reply for denying him and Valtoha permission to meet Rajoana.

Patiala jail superintendent says permission was denied according to Punjab Prison Rules, 2022

In a statement, the Patiala jail superintendent said after a thorough examination of the application, according to the Punjab Prison Rules, 2022, it was decided not to allow both the public figures to meet the prisoner in the Patiala Central Jail. In this regard, Majithia was also conveyed verbally on the phone about the denial of permission according to the Punjab Prison Rules on December 2 by the superintendent of the jail, said the statement. Hence, the fact that both the political leaders were denied permission to meet Rajoana on-the-spot is incorrect, it said.

SAD had written to the additional director general of police prisons seeking permission

The SAD had written to the additional director general of police prisons on November 30 to seek approval for Majithia and Valtoha to meet Rajoana, any day before December 5. The statement said the application was sent by the Prisons Headquarters Office, Chandigarh, to the office of the superintendent of the central jail for taking a suitable decision according to the law and rules. The jails superintendent is the competent authority to decide on such matters, it said.

SGPC chief Dhami slams state government for preventing Majithia and Valtoha from meeting Rajoana

SGPC chief Dhami slammed the state government for preventing Majithia and Valtoha from meeting Rajoana. On the one hand, Balwant Singh Rajoana, who has been in jail for the past 27 years, is forced to go on a hunger strike due to the stubborn attitude of the government, while on the other hand, obstacles are being created before the Sikh community in pacifying him by the Bhagwant Mann government of Punjab, said Dhami in a statement.

Dhami writes to Rajoana, appeals to withdraw the hunger strike decision

Dhami has written a letter to Rajoana, appealing to him to withdraw his decision to start the hunger strike from December 5. The SGPC chief wrote to Rajoana in light of the decision of the Sikh body's executive committee and the suggestions received in the recent meeting of Panthic representatives. In this letter, Rajoana has been appealed to withdraw his decision to go on a hunger strike, as it is not right as per the Gurmat teachings of Sikh Gurus philosophy, he said in a statement.

SGPC to hold protest march from Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib to Rashtrapati Bhawan

Dhami said the SGPC has also decided to hold a protest march from the Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi to the Rashtrapati Bhawan on December 20. Representatives of five Takhts, Sant Samaj, Nihang Singh organizations, Damdami Taksal, Kar Sewa leaders, all farm unions, and political Sikh organizations, and representatives of Singh Sabhas are being requested to join this protest, he said.

SGPC seeks release of Sikh prisoners

The SGPC has been seeking the release of several Sikh prisoners including Rajoana and Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, a 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict.