'It is unfortunate that parties are indulging in votebank politics over such a sensitive issue. It is time that people of this country need to know whether politicians are even above the Supreme Court,' said the All India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman.
All India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman MS Bitta today said political parties were indulging in votebank politics over rejection of mercy plea of death row convict and Khalistan militant Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar even as Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) decided to file a review petition against capital punishment for Bhullar.
"It is unfortunate that parties are indulging in votebank politics over such a sensitive issue. It is time that people of this country need to know whether politicians are even above the Supreme Court," Bitta said.
Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab and main opposition Congress have demanded Bhullar's death sentence be commuted.
Bhullar was convicted in an attempt on the life of Bitta which left nine other persons dead.
Bitta said he was not bothered about the clemency demands of SAD and former chief minister Amarinder Singh.
"It was (Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief) PS Sarna who first made the demand for Bhullar's clemency and SAD and Amarinder followed. All I can say is that I have to fight my own battle. The law of the land has to mean something," Bitta told PTI.
SGPC, the apex religious body of the Sikhs, headed by Avtar Singh Makkar decided to form a five-member committee on the issue.
The committee comprises general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, executive committee member Rajinder Singh Mehta and Surjit Singh, and members RS Dhami and Jaswant Singh. Bhaur, Dhami and Jaswant are lawyers.
The committee will soon head for Delhi where it will take services of top five lawyers of the Supreme Court and file the review petition, Makkar said.
SGPC today took the decision to form the committee following directives of the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, the Akal Takht, which asked it to take note of the situation that has emerged following rejection of Bhullar's petition by the President.
President Pratibha Patil had on May 26 rejected the mercy petition of Bhullar, a member of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).
Bhullar was sentenced to death by a trial court on August 25, 2001, for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991 and the then Youth Congress head Bitta in 1993.
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