Bhullar case: Shiromani Akali Dal seeks PM's intervention

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in saving the life of death row convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar whose mercy petition had been rejected by the President.

In a statement, the ruling party in Punjab 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 the national interest".

It said, "The prime minister should personally see that the highest norms of jurisprudence, legal precedents and issues of statesmanship are kept firmly in view in the matter and a sympathetic view taken."

This, the statement said, would be "an act of grace which will ensure that the atmosphere of acrimony, suspicion and estrangement between the Sikhs and the Centre is not vitiated any further".

The statement was released on behalf of party patron Parkash Singh Badal and president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

President Pratibha Patil had rejected the mercy petition of Bhullar, a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force.

Bhullar was sentenced to death by a trial court on August 25, 2001 for plotting terror attacks on Punjab Senior Superintendent of Police Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991 and the then Youth Congress head M S Bitta in 1993.