PATIALA, Punjab—Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case, today started hunger strike for indefinite time in protest of delay in his execution. Notably, Bhai Rajoana is currently being confined at Central Jail of Patiala and had earlier apprised the Jail Superintendent about his decision of starting hunger strike.

In a letter shared with Sikh24, Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana has said that the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee) had back-stabbed his struggle by moving a petition before the President of India without his consent. He has written that the delay in his execution was mainly due to the petition moved by SGPC.

Expressing deep pain over the genocide of Sikhs performed by the Indian state in November 1984, Bhai Rajoana has said that it was very unfortunate that the so called leaders of Sikh community couldn’t even get a single culprit arrested in 32 years.

“Unavailability of justice to the victims of 1984 Sikh genocide will make our next generation feel ashamed,” he writes in his letter.

Lashing out at Shiromani Akali Dal and SGPC indirectly, he has written that the political leaders were busy in expanding their business empires while the religious leaders were busy in “picking the boots” of their political masters.

He has said that he was starting his hunger from today until for indefinite time until the Union government doesn’t break the delay in his execution or specifies a time limit to make final decision.

“Either I am given a define response, or I will continue until my least breath,” the letter reader. Bhai Rajoana has said that if he passes away in this hunger strike, his death will convey message to the Sikh community to fight for justice.

He has clarified in the letter he doesn’t have any affiliation with any political party.