AMRITSAR: Jatehdar Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti Tuesday expressed shock over the death sentence of Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, two of the six convicts, in the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, were awarded death sentence by a Special Court at Chandigarh.

In a release issued here, Vedanti said that Court should not have neglected the sentiments of convicts  at the time of they took the extreme step. He added that convicts were hurt due to the atrocities inflicted on numerous Sikhs in Punjab after 1980.

Adding further Vedanti said that after the Operation Blue star of 1984 and attack on various other Sikh shrines, sentiments of Sikhs were badly hurt and nobody came forward to understand the feelings of Sikhs. But innocent Sikhs were killed inhumanly day by day.

“The Sikhs facing gallows had no self interest but during the heat of the moment Sikh youth committed such act. He argued that  at least court should have examined the previous circumstances before delivering the judgment” . 

Vedanti said, “Now we have strong expectations from the higher courts that at the time of decision the sentiments and psyche of Sikh youth should be considered as in what circumstances they had committed such act.