SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said such discrimination “is a violation of the Constitution of India as well as a murder of human rights.”
Mumbai: President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Harjinder Singh Dhami, has accused the government of having a discriminatory policy towards Sikhs and questioned why Sikh prisoners who have already served twice their sentence of life imprisonment cannot be freed if a decision can be made to release those serving time in the Bilkis Bano case.
“On one side, by adopting a sympathetic stand, the government is releasing convicts of heinous crimes like rape, which is termed as a blot on society, while on the other side, Sikh prisoners are kept lodged in jails for three decades,” said Dhami, who is an advocate.
On August 15, the Gujarat government released 11 people who had been found guilty of the 2002 gang rape of Bilkis Bano in the Dahod region of the state and the murder of 14 people.
“This discrimination is a violation of the Constitution of India as well as a murder of human rights,” the SGPC chief said. Such injustice and discrimination are unacceptable and the governments need to take the matter seriously, Dhami added.
He requested the prompt release of Sikh inmates and asked the Indian government to be honest in implementing a uniform policy for all.
Dhami also urged Bhai Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, who is being held at Chandigarh’s Model Burail Jail, to cease his hunger strike. Lakha, who was found guilty in the Beant Singh murder case, has been on a hunger strike for weeks in order to call for the release of Sikh inmates. In the Sikh religion, according to Dhami, there is no place for a hunger strike. He also claimed the SGPC is working to ensure Sikh inmates receive justice and will keep doing so.
Also Read | IAS Officer Smita Sabharwal Tweets On Bilkis Bano case, Creates A Furore
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
