On Tuesday, June 14, the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) installed and unveiled a portrait of Dilawar Singh, assassin of former CM Beant Singh, at the Central Sikh Museum at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The portrait was placed next to that of Akal Takht’s former head granthi, Giani Bhagwant Singh.
The installation of the portrait has given rise to controversies. The Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) has called the move “return of terrorism” in Punjab. Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Beant Singh’s grandson reacted sharply to the move saying “This is a highly unfortunate step of the SGPC. It will disseminate a wrong message to the young generation”
The portrait’s caption, describing Dilawar, read “who attained martyrdom while putting an end to the state atrocities”.
In August 1995, former Punjab Police officer Dilawar Singh, who got involved with the outfit Babbar Khalsa International, tied explosives around himself causing the blast that killed the then Punjab CM Beant Singh and 16 others. Dilawar was declared a ‘Quami Shaheed’ (national martyr) in 2012. Supporters said that he sacrificed his life to save the Sikh nation and stopped the atrocities the Sikhs suffered at the hands of the then government. 10 year later, this portrait was installed ahead of the Sangrur bypolls to garner support for the Akali Dal.
3 people, Dilawar Singh, Balwant Singh Rajouna and Lakhwinder Singh were involved in the assassination, out of whom Rajouna awaits his death sentence and Lakhwinder Singh has been served with a life sentence.
Viresh Shandilya of the ‘Anti-Terrorist Front of India’ threatened to take the matter to court and stage a ‘symbollic' dharna.
Pictures of militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and assassins of former PM Indira Gandhi are already on display in the museum.