Badal slams Kejriwal, Mann for rejection of Bhullar’s plea for premature release

Bathinda, Jan 23 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President, Sukhbir Badal on Tuesday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann had committed a heinous crime against humanity by rejecting the premature release plea of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, a convict in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case.

Asserting that both Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann had sprinkled salt on the wounds of the Sikhs, the SAD President said, “Prof Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s premature release plea has been rejected arbitrarily after being put up before the Delhi Sentence Review Committee seven times in the last five years. This is a violation of Prof Bhullar’s human rights.”

Stating that Mann had also shown his anti-Sikh face in the episode, Badal said the Punjab Government refused to recommend Prof Bhullar’s release despite knowing all the facts of the case, including the fact that the detainee’s health was precarious.

“This is condemnable.” Calling upon the Khalsa Panth to recognise those who were working against it, Badal said, “The Panth helped AAP in securing 92 seats but has been betrayed.”

He said the episode also proved that parties of Delhi did not have any respect for Sikh sentiments.

Meanwhile, the SAD President also visited Rai Ke Kalan Village which has reported more than 250 cattle deaths and interacted with farmers who briefed him that the major reason for the massive number of cattle deaths was the delay in reaction to the crisis by the state Animal Husbandry Department.

He announced allocation of Rs 10 lakh from his MPLAD funds for upgradation of the veterinary hospital in the area.

He also handed over a letter in this regard to the village panchayat.

Badal also demanded that compensation at the rate of Rs 50,000 per cattle be given to all farmers who had lost their milch animals due to spread of infections.