The deletion of names of four dreaded Punjab militants, who are said to be in Pakistan, from the Centre’s black list has baffled the state government. All four of them have been ideologues and executors of more than 50 incidents of violence and subversion in Punjab, and are among the staunch propagators of the Khalistan movement.
The Centre had last week struck down names of 142 of the 169 Punjab hardcore militants settled abroad.
After the law and order situation normalised in Punjab, there has been a consistent demand to review the black list in the changed circumstances.
The plea has been that there had been transformation in views and activities of the black-listed people, who should now be allowed to join the mainstream.
The four militants who have benefited from the Centre’s gesture are — chief of Babbar Khalsa International Wadhawa Singh, chief of Khalistan Commando Force Paramjit Singh Panjwar, chief of the Khalistan zindabad Force Ranjit Singh alias Neeta, and president of the International Sikh Youth federation Lakhbir Singh Rode.
After removal of their names from the blacklist, they are now legally permitted to visit India (subject to production of valid travel documents), though it will now be the responsibility of Indian missions abroad to process their applications. Many of them have cases pending in Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
Their present residences are in some of the countries with which India has extradition treaties.
Intriguingly, while names of those in Pakistan have been cleared from the blacklist, they still figure prominently in the list of 50 sent by the government of India to Pakistan for handover.
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