SAD 'siding with murderers': Cong MP Bittu

Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu on Friday accused the SAD of "siding with murderers" after the party decided to urge the Centre to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for killing former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.

The Congress MP, who is the grandson of the slain leader, lashed out at SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, saying the decision has "exposed his real face".

"The Akalis have stood with the murderers and it has shown their real mentality among peace-loving Punjabis," Bittu said here.

He also flayed the SAD chief for "visiting the house of Rajoana's sister Kamaldeep Kaur".

"Thousands of people lost their lives during the dark days of terrorism in the state and the Akalis stand in the favour of perpetrators of these crimes. It exposes their real face. It clearly shows that the Akalis led by Sukhbir supported such people, which is sad," Bittu said.

He said the former CM attained martyrdom safeguarding the rights of Punjabis and for maintaining peace and communal harmony in the state.

"Sukhbir Singh Badal should explain what about the families of those who died along with Sardar Beant Singh? It clearly shows that the Akalis do not care about all those who attained martyrdom," said Bittu.

Earlier in Chandigarh, the SAD core committee had decided that a delegation of senior party leaders would meet both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to convey the sentiments of the Sikh community regarding the continued incarceration of Rajoana, serving death sentence for the killing of the former chief minister.

The committee decided that the delegation would urge the Centre to commute Rajoana's death sentence and demand that he be released from prison immediately.

Beant Singh and 16 others were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995.