Sikh prisoners' transfer not to affect peace in Punjab: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today termed as baseless apprehensions that transfer of Sikh prisoners from other states would revive militancy and asserted that Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP were on the same page on the issue.
Badal attacked the Congress, accusing it of raising the bogey of terrorism for its political motives and defended the move to transfer Sikh militant Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar from Tihar Jail to Punjab.
Transfer of Sikh prisoners from other states would not pose any threat to peace and harmony, he told reporters at village Manak, 15 km from Phagwara after 'Sangat Darshan' programme.

Badal said that transfer of Bhullar from Delhi to Amritsar was not a concession but a routine exercise. He said that the state governments across the country have been following the policy of transferring prisoners from one state to another and Punjab was hardly an exception.
"Congress leaders owe an answer to the people as to how militancy could revive with the transfer of indisposed person like Bhullar," he told reporters, adding "Whatever decision I take is always in the interest of Hindu-Sikh unity, communal harmony and peace and amity in Punjab".
Bhullar, a convict in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case, was admitted in the psychiatry ward of a hospital at Amritsar after his transfer to Central jail June 12.

Badal said that Bhullar's family had been pleading with the Centre and state government to transfer him in a jail in Punjab so that they can easily meet him.

"Bhullar is sick. He has already spent twenty years in jail. His wife has requested us to transfer him to Amritsar so that his family can meet him conveniently. We gave NOC and the other concerned government has also consented to it. What is wrong in it? Prisoners often get transferred from one jail to other," he said.
"The apprehensions regarding revival of militancy in the state with this decision are totally baseless and the Congress leaders are just creating a fuss over the issue to score brownie points before the media," added Badal.

He also ruled out any differences between SAD and BJP on the issue.
Stressing that every decision to govern the state was taken by SAD-BJP alliance unanimously, the Chief Minister said that both the alliance partners have complete understanding on all issues and they take the decisions pertaining to the state collectively.