Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought his intervention to turn the death penalty for Khalistani terrorist Devenderpal Singh Bhullar to life.
The CM, who cited the split verdict of the Supreme Court in 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict case, told reporters: "We asked the Prime Minister to find out a way so that he (Bhullar) can be granted clemency."
He noted that even Germany, from where Bhullar was extradited, had opposed death penalty and rejected suggestions that commuting Bhullar's sentence will send a 'wrong' message.
“What we need most is peace and harmony. If it affects peace and harmony, it will become an emotive issue. We are warning the government that people are emotional. Moreover, he is in a poor health condition... what will they gain by hanging him," he said.
Submitting a memorandum to the PM, the Badals requested Manmohan Singh to approach President Pranab Mukherjee to stay any further action on the execution of Bhullar and to get his death penalty commuted to life imprisonment.
The Supreme Court had last week dismissed death row convict Bhullar's plea for commutation of his death sentence.
The father-son duo also met Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. Sukhbir said they have conveyed to the Home Minister that since Bhullar was mentally sick, he should not be hanged.
The Badals’ memorandum to the PM said: "The process must be started for finding ways to ensure that the ends of justice do not clash with the long-term interests of the nation and with the objectives and operation of statesman-like approach in such sensitive matters."
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