Foreign News
The Reasons Behind Bhagwant Mann’s U-Turn On Chief Minister’s Murder Convict Jagtar Singh Hawara
Chandigarh:
The Bhagwant Mann government’s sudden decision to support parole for Khalistani extremist Jagtar Singh Hawara, just months after the Punjab government had advised against it, is unlikely to be viewed merely through the prism of humanitarian considerations. The timing suggests a larger political calculation, particularly as Punjab’s 2027 electoral battle is just months away.
The most significant factor could be the emerging possibility of an Akali Dal-BJP alliance. Both parties have been exploring ways to rebuild their electoral relevance, and an alliance could potentially bring together two complementary vote bases – the BJP’s strength among urban voters and the Akali Dal’s traditional influence in rural and Panthic (religious) sections of Punjab. For the AAP, such a combination could pose a serious challenge.
The Mann government, therefore, has little incentive to allow the Akali Dal to reclaim exclusive ownership of Panthic issues. Supporting Hawara’s parole could be an attempt to signal to Sikh voters that AAP is willing to engage with issues that have strong emotional resonance within sections of the community.
The timing also coincides with the emergence of Amritpal Singh and Waris Punjab De as a political force. Amritpal’s entry into electoral politics could further fragment the traditional Panthic vote and put pressure on the Akali Dal. For AAP, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity: it must prevent the Opposition from consolidating the Sikh vote around a single political narrative.
Hawara remains a highly emotive issue for a section of the Sikh electorate. By supporting his parole, the Mann government can attempt to position itself as responsive to Panthic sentiment without necessarily making a broader political commitment on the issue.
There is another important political calculation: the decision on his parole is not entirely in Punjab’s hands. The request has been made to the Delhi authorities, where the BJP is in power. This effectively puts the ball in the BJP’s court.
Also read: In Outreach To Sikhs, AAP Government Makes U-Turn On Extremist’s Parole
If the BJP-controlled authorities reject the request, AAP can argue that it supported parole, but the BJP did not. If the request is accepted, AAP can still claim that its intervention helped move the case forward. Politically, it is therefore a relatively low-risk move with potential gains for the Mann government.
But the biggest question remains the government’s own record.
Also read: Akal Takht Asks Sikh MLAs, Ministers To Shun Bhagwant Mann In Punjab Assembly
In February-March 2026, the Punjab government cited information from the SSP, Fatehgarh Sahib, and the Director, Bureau of Investigation, stating that 25 criminal cases were registered against Hawara. The authorities had not recommended parole, and the Punjab government forwarded the case with an unfavourable recommendation.
Four months later, the same government is supporting parole on humanitarian grounds, citing Hawara’s ailing mother.
What Changed In These Four Months?
Punjab’s political landscape did.
The possibility of an Akali Dal-BJP alliance, the emergence of Amritpal Singh as a new Panthic political force and the approaching 2027 Assembly elections have intensified the competition for the rural, Sikh and Panthic electorate.
The Hawara parole move, therefore, may be less about changing the government’s assessment of Hawara and more about changing the political calculus around the Sikh vote.
For AAP, the objective could be clear: do not allow the Akali Dal-BJP combine, or a rising Panthic alternative led by Amritpal Singh, to occupy the entire political space on Sikh issues.
And by putting the final decision before the BJP-led Delhi administration, Mann may have achieved another political advantage: he has turned a sensitive Panthic issue into a test for the BJP.
