CHANDIGARH: On the 31st death anniversary of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh on Monday, death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana paid tribute to his associate Dilawar Singh, the former Punjab Police constable who acted as the suicide bomber in the 1995 assassination, describing him as a “Qaumi Shaheed”.
The tribute, published through newspaper advertisements issued on Rajoana’s behalf by his sister, has brought the state’s violent past back into political focus at a time when Punjab is less than six months away from the 2027 Assembly elections.
Dilawar strapped explosives around his waist and carried out the attack that killed Beant Singh and 16 others at the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. Dilawar’s portrait was installed at the Central Sikh Museum inside the Golden Temple in 2012 by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). He was among three Punjab Police constables who came in contact with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and were involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Beant Singh.
Rajoana, who was convicted in the case and sentenced to death for his role as the backup bomber, has maintained his position over the years. His latest tribute comes amid renewed efforts by the SGPC and other Sikh organisations for the release of Bandi Singhs, including Rajoana.
Two days ago, Ardas was held at several gurdwaras across Punjab seeking the early release of Sikh prisoners. The Supreme Court has also agreed to list Rajoana’s plea seeking commutation of his death sentence, with the prolonged delay in deciding his mercy petition being cited as a ground.
The issue has gained further political significance following the AAP-led Punjab government’s demand for 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, another convict in the Beant Singh assassination case. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has sought Hawara’s parole on humanitarian grounds, citing the deteriorating health of his aged mother, and has met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria over the matter.
The demand has received support across party lines. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has backed Hawara’s parole, while former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, whose grandfather Beant Singh was assassinated, has also supported the request. Punjab BJP spokesperson Sarchand Singh Khiala and the Shiromani Akali Dal have similarly backed parole for Hawara and the release of Bandi Singhs.
The August 21 state-wide bandh called by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha over the release of Sikh prisoners received a mixed response.
The growing political consensus on parole and Bandi Singhs has opened space for the emerging Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), which is seeking to build its political identity around Punjab-centric and Sikh issues.
