Chandigarh, Aug 3 (UNI) Activists of the youth wing of the Akali Dal (Amritsar) today held a protest demonstration in the city demanding the release of Babbar Khalsa International terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, who were sentenced to death in the Beant Singh assassination case by a Special CBI Court here.

The activists, a majority of whom were from Sangrur, Patiala and Fathegarh Sahib district of Punjab assembled at Sector-19 gurdwara and then marched in a procession towards Punjab Raj Bhawan, carrying palcards with photographs of Hawara and Balwant and shouted slogans against the government.

They also demanded that Lakhwinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Shamsher Singh, who got life sentence in the Beant Singh case be released. They termed the verdict in the case as anti democratic.

The protestors were stopped by the police near the Sector-7 and 8 chowk, where they staged a dharna after they were not permitted to move further ahead. Policemen in anti-riot gear were present in strength to prevent the Akali activists from moving further ahead.

Before dispersing they handed over a memorandum to a police official, who forwarded it to Raj Bhawan. In the memorandum, they demanded the release of those convicted in the Beant assassination case and also the release of their party president Simranjit Singh Mann and vice president Daljit Singh Bittu, both of whom are behind bars on sedition charges.

UNI