Sikhs protest at Indian embassy in Berlin to save Bhullar
June 20th, 2011 - 8:47 pm ICT by IANS
Berlin, June 20 (IANS) Sikhs from across the European Union (EU) Monday held a peaceful protest at Indian embassy here seeking clemency for Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Devender Singh Bhullar, whose mercy petition was rejected by the Indian president last month.
Sikhs from the across the EU gathered at Indian mission at Tiergartenstrase, held a two-hour-long protest and then submitted a memorandum to ambassador Sudhir Vyas.
Many of them were holding placards reading “Join to save Prof. Bhular” and “Convert death sentence to life imprisonment”.
Sikhs in Berlin have formed an 11-member Professor Bhullar Defence Committee to fight for Bhullar, who has been given death penalty in a 1993 car bombing in New Delhi that killed 12 people and injured 29, including then Youth Congress chief M.S. Bitta.
“Around 400 Sikhs from Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland and the UK have participated in the protest,” committee member Surinder Singh Sekhon told IANS.
A signature campaign was also run in the gurdwara in Berlin asking people to sign a petition against the hanging of Bhullar.
“We are really disappointed over the Indian president rejecting the mercy petition of Prof. Bhullar. He has been in jail since 1995 and we want his death sentence to be changed to life imprisonment,” Sekhon said.
The European Union, in a letter to Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram last week, urged the Indian government not to hang Bhullar.
Bhullar was deported to India from Germany in 1995 and has been lodged in the high security ward of New Delhi’s Tihar Jail. He was deported after his application for political asylum was rejected. The decision to deport him was declared illegal by a Frankfurt court two years later.
German law prohibits deportation or extradition of individuals to countries where they could be given a death sentence or tortured in custody.
Bhullar was convicted in 2001 and his mercy petition was pending with the president since January 2003. He was the mastermind of a car bomb attack on Bitta in front of 5, Raisina Road, office of the Youth Congress in New Delhi Sep 11, 1993.
The daring RDX blast in the heart of New Delhi had shocked the nation and prompted Bitta to set up the Anti-Terrorist Front.
Bhullar was sentenced to death Aug 25, 2001, and the Supreme Court dismissed his special leave petition Dec 27, 2006.
Sikh communities and human rights activists are running a campaign asking that his mercy petition be accepted.
- Bitta condemns Akali Dal, Congress over Bhullar - May 31, 2011
- EU opposes death to Bhullar, writes to Chidambaram - Jun 17, 2011
- Mercy plea of Khalistan terrorist on death row rejected - May 26, 2011
- SGPC sets up panel to save Bhullar - May 30, 2011
- Akali Dal wants PM to intervene in Bhullar case - May 29, 2011
- President rejects mercy plea of Khalistan terrorist on death row (Second Lead) - May 27, 2011
- Mercy plea of Khalistan terrorist on death row rejected (Lead) - May 26, 2011
- Sikh rally at UN for Bhullar's clemency - Jul 26, 2011
- 'Save Bhullar' campaign picking up in Punjab - Jun 22, 2011
- President rejects mercy petition of Rajiv killers (Lead) - Aug 11, 2011
- Delay on Bhullar's mercy plea no cruelty, apex court told - Oct 19, 2011
- SC slams Punjab government for 'drama' in Rajoana case - Mar 29, 2012
- Badal urges PM for clemency to Bhullar - Aug 26, 2011
- Bhullar allowed to amend plea against death penalty - Sep 06, 2011
- Apex court calls for files of 18 mercy pleas (Lead) - Apr 03, 2012
Tags: bombing in new delhi, car bombing, congress chief, defence committee, devender, german law, gurdwara, home minister, indian embassy, indian president, life imprisonment, mercy petition, peaceful protest, political asylum, protest committee, sekhon, signature campaign, sikhs, vyas, youth congress