cong mp Bittu threatens fast-unto-death
Thursday, 08/01/2015
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=122456&boxid=57968&uid=&dat=2015-01-08
Chandigarh : A two-time Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday threatened fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi if any of the terrorists, whose release had been sought by different quarters, is allowed to walk free.
“I, along with the 35,000 odd terrorist-affected families of Punjab would sit at Jantar Mantar and observe a fast-unto-death if any terrorist is released,” the young parliamentarian told Daily Post over phone from the national capital.
Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who after taking over the reins of the state in 1992 had began crushing militancy but was killed in a blast by Khalistani Sikh terrorists outside high-security Punjab Civil Secretariat at Chandigarh in 1995.
The terrorists, whose release has been sought, include Lakhwinder Singh, Shamsher Singh and Gurmeet Singh who are serving life sentence in connection with the assassination of Beant Singh.
Perturbed over the demand, Bittu also urged the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh to give right direction to the Sikh community by ex-communicating the terrorists and their sympathisers from the minority community.
The Congress MP also took a dig at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), who has come out in support of a Punjab resident, Gurbax Singh Khalsa, sitting on a hunger strike in Ambala since November last year, demanding the release of six prisoners, including those convicted in Beant Singh assassination case.
Khalsa had broken his fast following a promise of release of Lakhwinder, Shamsher and Gurmeet (who were subsequently released on 28 days parole from Burail jail in Chandigarh) and assurance by Akal Takht Jathedar that he would take up the matter with the government.
The SGPC is also believed to have written a letter to the Union Home Ministry seeking the premature release of the sentenced prisoners.
