Chandigarh, Oct. 10 -- Two days after the Centre opposed commuting the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) president Giani Harpreet Singh accused successive governments of being insensitive to Sikh concerns.

Reacting to the Centre's stand in the Supreme Court, Singh alleged that parties controlled from Delhi sought to rule Punjab, but lacked genuine sympathy for Punjabis, particularly the Sikh community.

He said Rajoana had spent 31 years in prison, including more than 15 years on death row, and termed his prolonged incarceration in a death cell a human rights concern. Singh criticised the Centre for opposing the clemency ...