Police firing victim declared martyr by Akal Takht

Jaspal Singh, the first victim of the police firing in the second successive term of the Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab, was declared ‘martyr of the Sikh qaum’ by the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of the community here on Saturday.

Jaspal singh, an engineering student, was killed when the police opened fire at Gurdaspur during the bandh called by the Shiv Sena in reaction to the bandh called a day earlier by the Sikh organisations to press for clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted to be executed in the assassination of the then chief minister Beant Singh in 1995.

The announcement declaring Jaspal Singh a martyr was made by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh at his bhog ceremony at Chaur Sandhwan village. He also announced that Jaspal’s picture would be put up at the Sikh museum in the Golden Temple complex.

No political leader was allowed to speak.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee announced a grant of Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 2.5 lakh respectively to the next of kin of the victim.

The participation of the people in the bhog ceremony was massive.