Why Sikh militants in prison are once again a political issue in Punjab

The recent reversal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stance on granting parole to imprisoned Sikh militant Jagtar Singh Hawara has reinvigorated the political discourse surrounding Sikh militant prisoners in Punjab, just prior to the upcoming Assembly elections. This development could significantly impact the Sikh community's voting patterns and, consequently, the election outcome.

Hawara is serving a sentence for the 1995 assassination of then-Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the governing body of Sikh gurdwaras, organized an event at the Darbar Sahib complex to mark the death anniversary of Dilawar Singh, the suicide bomber responsible for Beant Singh's death. Tarsem Singh, father of Akali Dal leader Amritpal Singh, attended the event, along with a delegation from Hawara's family and supporters.

In response to the family's request for a 10-day parole, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reached out to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, expressing gratitude for his support. The delegation included Hawara's cousin, Pushpinder Kaur, and Jaswant Singh, a key figure in the 1998 Burail jail conspiracy case.

Meanwhile, the AAP government's decision to reject Hawara's parole application earlier in the year marked a shift from its previous position. The party's stance aligns with its stance on other Sikh militant prisoners, such as Paramjit Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Tara, whose parole applications are reportedly being reviewed by the government.

The issue of Sikh militants in prison has become a political talking point, with the AAP being the exception among major parties in Punjab. The party's decision to reject Hawara's parole application stands in stark contrast to its approach towards other Sikh prisoners, including those convicted in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case. This discrepancy highlights the party's potential to sway the Sikh vote in the upcoming elections.