Jalandhar, Punjab (March 28, 2012): As per reports from across the Punjab a day-long bandh (shut-down) called by Joint Committee formed by various Sikh Organizations to protest the proposed execution of Sikh political prisoner Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the Punjab CM Beant Singh assassination case, has normal life in Punjab to stand still.
A report from Patiala said the call for bandh evoked a total response in the city where Rajoana is lodged in the local Central Jail awaiting his execution on March 31 as per the orders of the Chandigarh Sessions Court.
In Phagwara, the bandh was complete in the city located on the Delhi Jalandhar National Highway. Roads are laying vacant as public and private transport is avoiding roads.
Similarly, reports of Bathinda-Mansa, Ropar, Khanna, Sarhind, Phillaur, Bhogpur, Dasuya, Jalandhar also confirm total bandh.
Sikhs in large numbers took to streets in across Punjab carrying “Kesri” flags.
The special CBI court had awarded death sentence to Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Hawara in the Beant Singh case on August 1, 2007. The Chandigarh court had issued the death warrant to the Patiala Jail authorities earlier this month, asking them to hang Rajoana on March 31.
On August 31, 1995 as Beant Singh stepped out of his office at the high-security Punjab civil secretariat in Chandigarh, a blast took place, killing the then chief minister, who was considered to be responsible for mass scale human rights violations against civilian Sikh population in Punajb.