Amritsar: Punjab BJP spokesperson and Sikh thinker Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala said he supports the premature release of the Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners serving long-term sentences), subject to the due legal process. He said the notification issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019 regarding the Bandi Singhs, directing the concerned states to initiate the constitutional process, was a significant step reflecting the Centre’s sincere approach towards the issue. Under the process, six prisoners have been granted premature release, while two other cases are under consideration by the concerned state governments. In the case of Balwant Singh Rajoana, the Supreme Court is yet to pronounce its final decision.
Prof. Khiala said the cases of Sikh prisoners who have spent decades in jail should not be viewed solely through the narrow prism of criminal law. The political conflict and difficult circumstances that prevailed in Punjab during the past decades also form an important part of the context. While the law must take its course, he said, the humanitarian dimension of such cases should also be considered with sensitivity.
Commenting on the Punjab bandh call given by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha for August 21 seeking the release of Bandi Singhs, Prof. Khiala said peaceful expression of grievances was a democratic right, but no agitation should be conducted in a manner that disrupts the livelihood of ordinary people, businesses or social harmony.
He welcomed the appeal reportedly made by Jagtar Singh Hawara from Mandoli Jail, urging the youth to remain calm, not take the law into their own hands, stay away from violence and remain vigilant against miscreants. “Punjab has already paid a terrible price for violence. Every effort must be made to ensure that the state does not return to an era of violence and instability,” he said.
Prof. Khiala said there were differing claims among various groups regarding the definition and number of Bandi Singhs. However, in a constitutional democracy, the status of every prisoner has to be determined according to law. “Premature release cannot be decided through street pressure or political slogans. It has to be considered under the applicable remission policy, sentence, conduct and other prescribed legal parameters,” he said.
Questioning the role of protest fronts, Prof. Khiala said Bandi Singh Gurdeep Singh Khera had himself publicly stated that such morchas had played no role in his release. He also referred to the incident of January 21, 2024, when the vehicle of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami was allegedly attacked and vandalised by protesters when he had gone to participate in the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha at the Mohali-Chandigarh border.
“If the head of a premier Sikh institution is not even accorded basic respect and security at a protest claiming to speak in the name of Sikh interests, serious questions naturally arise about discipline, decorum and the conduct of such agitations,” he said.
Prof. Khiala said the Bandi Singhs issue was fundamentally one of human rights and legal justice and should not be turned into an instrument of electoral politics. Every prisoner must receive justice in accordance with the Constitution and law, and where premature release is legally permissible, the competent authority should consider the matter fairly and independently.
“Using Sikh sentiments for electoral gains is neither in Punjab’s interest nor does it offer a lasting solution to the issue of the Bandi Singhs,” he said.
He added that if the morcha was genuinely serious about securing the release of prisoners, it should pursue constitutional and legal avenues rather than resort to a bandh that affects ordinary citizens. “Punjab needs equally determined attention to drugs, unemployment, industry, investment and the future of its youth. Religious sentiments should not repeatedly be turned into electoral weapons,” he said.
Prof. Khiala also said that while discussing the Bandi Singhs, the 16 other people killed in the Beant Singh assassination case and the suffering of their families should not be forgotten. “Justice also means recognising the pain of every victim and every affected family with equal sensitivity,” he said.
Questions Punjab Government’s Changed Stand on Hawara’s Parole
On the issue of Jagtar Singh Hawara’s parole, Prof. Khiala said the matter had both legal and humanitarian dimensions. “If the law permits parole and all prescribed security conditions are satisfied, the request of an elderly mother to meet her son deserves to be considered sympathetically,” he said.
He said the processing of Hawara’s parole application began following directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on June 11, 2025, rather than being a development triggered by the formation of a BJP government in Delhi.
The office of the Director General (Prisons), Delhi, had sought a report from the Punjab Government on October 21, 2025, regarding Hawara’s parole. In its response dated February 19, 2026, the Punjab Government cited 25 criminal cases registered against him and recommended that parole not be granted.
Subsequently, on July 11, 2026, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Mandoli Jail authorities to consider Hawara’s parole application in accordance with law. Prof. Khiala clarified that the final decision on parole is not taken by the court but by the competent prison authorities under the applicable prison rules and prescribed procedure.
He questioned the Punjab Government’s subsequent decision to recommend parole. “On August 8, 2026, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote to and met the Punjab Governor seeking parole for Hawara. This appears to be nothing more than political opportunism,” he alleged.
“The question is simple: if the Punjab Government had opposed parole a few months ago citing law and order concerns, why has it changed its position as elections approach? If its present position is justified, why was its earlier opposition justified? The people of Punjab deserve an answer to this apparent double standard,” Prof. Khiala said.
He said the BJP believed neither in claiming political credit nor in using sensitive Sikh issues for electoral gains. “We believe in constitutional governance, the rule of law and humanitarian justice. Where the law permits parole or premature release, eligible cases should be considered fairly and compassionately. At the same time, such sensitive issues must not be exploited for political purposes,” he said.
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