JSingh July 10, 2013Europe
EDM against death penalty of Prof. Bhullar tabled in UK Parliament

London, UK: The Sikh Federation (UK) has confirmed that two Early Day Motions (EDMs) have been tabled by UK MPs. One is a general motion opposing the death penalty in India, the other motion is specifically in support of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar.

EDM 1930 (reproduced below) specifically calls for the Indian authorities to immediately lift the death sentence on Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and also urges the UK Government to demand his immediate release. This motion has been tabled by Fabian Hamilton MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs.

EDM 1930 reads as follows:

Imprisonment in India of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar 

That this House calls on the Government to demand the immediate release of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, who was illegally deported from Germany to India in 1995, where he was immediately arrested and sentenced to death for political activism following a controversial split judgement and to work to this end with its EU partners and the Indian Government; and further calls on the Government to press the Indian authorities to immediately lift the death sentence on Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar.

John McDonnel MP has tabled a more general motion, EDM 1867 reads as follows:

Death sentences in India 

That this House expresses its deep regret at the decision by India’s President to approve the country’s first executions since 2004, having rejected the mercy petitions of death row prisoners, Professor D. P. Singh Bhullar and Mahrendra Nath Das; and calls on the UK Government to urge the Indian government to ensure that these executions do not take place and to end the death penalty in India.

Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), said:

‘We appreciate Sikhs have sent thousands of letters to UK MPs in the last few weeks following the President of India’s decision to give the go ahead to execute Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar. In turn many MPs have raised the matter with Ministers in the Foreign Office. However, Early Day Motions 1930 and 1867 provide an opportunity for Sikhs living in the UK to contact their MPs and urge them to publicly demonstrate their support by signing these EDMs.’

Around 150 MPs will be unable to sign the EDMs due to Parliamentary protocol – Ministers, shadow Ministers and others who are part of the Coalition government – they should be urged to continue to exert pressure on Foreign Office Ministers.

Source: Sikh Federation (UK)

 

 

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