Killing a man won't solve the problem: Amarinder on Bhullar

President Pratibha Patil on May 26 rejected the mercy petition of Bhullar, a member of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).

"I feel killing a man is not going to solve the problem. By killing a man you can't solve the problem," Amarinder, who is also President of Punjab Congress, told reporters here.

With Punjab set to have Assembly elections early next year, Amarinder said that his views were in his personal capacity and not that of the party.

While asserting that there was no doubt about the crime committed (by Bhullar), Amarinder maintained it was his personal view, and said "let him (Bhullar) stay in jail forever and give him life sentence".

He pointed out that Bhullar was already in jail for ten years, of which the militant spent eight years under death row. These factors should have been taken into consideration while taking final decision on his mercy petition, he said.

"I cannot comment on other cases. The matters are sub-judice," he said, when asked about his stance on similar other cases.

He said that in Bhullar's case the judicial process had been completed.

On SAD seeking the Prime Minister's intervention, Amarinder said he was not aware about it.

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 M S Bitta in 1993.

The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab had sought "direct and immediate intervention of the Prime Minister to save the life of Bhullar on grounds of humanitarianism and civilised concern and above all national interest".

The Bhullar issue has not just made SAD and Amarinder speak on similar lines, but rival Sikh bodies the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee also have demanded a review of Bhullar's death sentence.

Various Sikh organisations including the Dal Khalsa have petitioned the President for commuting the death sentence into life term.