Beant Singh Death Anniversary: Ravneet Bittu questions parole for Bandi Singhs, urges Punjabis to choose peace
Gurpreet Singh "Lahori"
Chandigarh, August 31, 2026: Former Union Minister of State and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu made sharp remarks on the issue of parole and release of Bandi Singhs while paying tribute to former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh on his death anniversary on Monday.
Speaking to the media, Bittu said that if those imprisoned for their alleged involvement in violent incidents had done “good deeds”, their mothers would not have been suffering for years waiting to meet their sons.
Responding to questions about the release and parole of Bandi Singhs, including Jagtar Singh Hawara, Bittu said he had himself approached the Governor in the past on humanitarian grounds seeking parole for Hawara to meet his elderly mother.
However, he questioned the demand for parole for those who have spent decades in prison, saying their alleged acts could not simply be forgotten. Referring to the killing of Beant Singh and other incidents of violence, Bittu asked, “Did they bring medals for the country?” He also questioned who would answer for the innocent people killed in bomb blasts and other incidents and for the families and children left behind.
Drawing a parallel with victims of gang violence and drug-related deaths, Bittu said that when a gangster kills someone’s son or daughter, or drugs destroy a family, the victim’s mother and sisters demand severe punishment for the perpetrators. He said the pain is understood most deeply by those who experience it themselves.
Bittu also appealed to the people of Punjab, particularly the younger generation, to decide what kind of Punjab they want to build in the future. He said people must choose between a Punjab associated with violence and bomb blasts and one based on peace and harmony.
“If such elements are encouraged, the new Punjab will produce people in handcuffs,” Bittu said.
Hawara’s Father Hits Back
Bittu’s remarks drew a sharp response from Gurcharan Singh, father of Jagtar Singh Hawara. Speaking after a religious programme held at Sri Akal Takht Sahib in memory of Bhai Dilawar Singh, Gurcharan Singh questioned Bittu over his reference to “deeds”.
He asked Bittu to also answer for the actions of the Congress party, with which Bittu had been associated for a long period, and under which his grandfather, Beant Singh, served as Chief Minister of Punjab.
Gurcharan Singh referred to Operation Blue Star in 1984 and questioned whether the Congress government was not responsible for the attack on Sri Akal Takht Sahib and Sri Darbar Sahib and the subsequent violence in which many people were killed.
He said the Sikh community had consistently raised the demand for the protection and release of Bandi Singhs from Sri Akal Takht Sahib and would continue to do so.