Chandigarh, October 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has said his government will pursue every possible legal and constitutional avenue to secure the release of Bandi Singhs, stating that the long-pending issue cannot be allowed to remain unresolved indefinitely.
He said the state government had assured the Centre and the Governor of Punjab that law and order would be fully maintained if Jagtar Singh Hawara was granted parole to meet his ailing mother. However, the Centre has not yet approved the request.
The Chief Minister also said he would raise the parole issue concerning Paramjit Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Tara with the Punjab Governor, who also serves as the Administrator of Chandigarh. He appealed to Sikh organisations to continue their struggle peacefully and within the framework of the law.
In a post on his X account, Mann said an important meeting had been held with representatives of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha. He said the participants had discussed their demands in detail and were assured that the Punjab government was making sustained and sincere efforts to secure the early release of the Bandi Singhs.
“We are working with complete seriousness towards a meaningful resolution of this issue and hope that positive results will emerge soon,” Mann said.
During the meeting with representatives of Sikh organisations, farmers’ unions and other groups, the Chief Minister reiterated that his government was prepared to provide every possible assistance within the law.
He said the long-pending cases involving the Bandi Singhs could not be left unresolved indefinitely and asserted that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s commitment to justice was clear.
“I am ready to extend every possible assistance within the limits of my authority, and the state government will never become an obstacle in this matter,” Mann said.
He assured the delegation, which included Sant Sewa Singh of Rampur Khera, Gurdeep Singh of Bathinda, Bhai Mohkam Singh, Gursewak Singh Kahaneke, Baba Bhupinder Singh and farmer leader Buta Singh Burjgil, that the state government was fully committed to maintaining law and order if Hawara was granted parole.
Centre yet to approve Hawara's parole
Mann said the Punjab government had already assured the Union government and the Punjab Governor that it would maintain law and order if Hawara were allowed to meet his ailing mother.
Expressing disappointment over the delay, he said the parole decision was now within the Centre's jurisdiction.
“The Punjab government will take full responsibility for maintaining law and order in the state. We have also given this assurance to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but the Centre has not yet granted parole,” he said.
Addressing representatives of Sikh organisations, Mann said granting Hawara parole, even for a few days, could demonstrate how peace and communal harmony could be maintained in Punjab.
He said such a decision could also help pave the way for the release of other Bandi Singhs.
The Chief Minister urged Sikh organisations to continue their campaign peacefully and within the law. He cautioned that some groups sometimes deliberately attempted to derail such movements and damage the reputation of the Sikh community internationally.
Parole requests of Bheora and Tara
On the parole requests concerning Paramjit Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Tara, who are lodged in Burail Jail, Mann clarified that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Chandigarh administration.
“I will raise this issue with the Punjab Governor, who is also the Administrator of Chandigarh,” he said.
The Chief Minister asked Punjab Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi, who attended the meeting, to examine the legal aspects of each case to identify a possible solution.
Mann assured the committee that the AAP government was committed to pursuing every appropriate legal and constitutional avenue for an early and suitable resolution.
He said every possible legal and constitutional step would be taken to secure the release of the Bandi Singhs, emphasising that the issue involved justice, humanity and the rights of individuals who had already spent a long period in prison.
“The government fully respects the constitutional and legal framework and will address this sensitive matter with responsibility and a clear commitment to justice,” Mann said.
He added that the AAP government would not hesitate to take difficult but necessary steps when pursuing justice through legal means.
The meeting was attended by Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha; Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi; Additional Chief Secretary, Home Affairs, Alok Shekhar; Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) P.K. Sinha; Principal Secretary, Prisons, Bhawna Garg; Chief Minister's Special Principal Secretary Kumar Amit; and other senior officials.
