Chandigarh:
For most of his five years on death row Balwant Singh Rajoana lived in the shadows. A Babbar Khalsa International militant, he was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995 and given the death sentence in 2007.
Rajoana's decisive headline moment came last week when political parties in Punjab joined the chorus of voices seeking clemency for him.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said, "We will do everything possible to get him clemency. This has nothing to do with politics."
His son, and President of Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal added, "We will not allow him to be hanged."
In a rare political gesture, Captain Amarinder Singh of the Congress party agreed with his rivals' views, "I'm with the government on this decision. I think he should be granted clemency. I also laud the decision of Beant Singh's family that has come out in support of clemency for Rajoana."
Political parties across Punjab have united, calling for his clemency, as the court says his death warrant must be executed on March 31.
What's ironic is that Rajaona's own voice has almost drowned in the clamour.
In a letter from his jail cell addressed to the Sikh community, Rajaona says he wants no mercy; he wants to be a martyr.
He's also accused the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal's attempts to obtain him clemency as motivated.
His sister Kamaldeep Kaur, who handed over his handwritten letter from the jail, is upset with what she calls politicisation of her brother's ideology.
"My brother does not want mercy. He wants self-respect. Where were all these parties for 17 years when my brother was fighting for the Sikh cause? Why aren't they bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Sikh Riots of 1984?" she asked.
The clamour began last week when the Akal Takht, the apex Sikh body, sent a diktat to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asking him to ensure Rajoana is not executed.
It also conferred on Rajaona the title of 'Living Martyr' a title Rajoana has predictably rejected.
The Shiromani Akali Dal is moved by its own compulsions: It is seen as the champion of the Sikh cause and aligned to the right-wing Panthic politics: If it does not take up clemency, it fears alienating voters - not just politically but also emotionally because the aam aadmi in Punjab sees in Rajaona a hero and his death may trigger violence as they mobilise for the martyr.
Also fuelling the demand are extremist parties: Pushed to the fringes in post-militancy Punjab, they have found in this cause a toe-hold to gain relevance in a right-wing politics now dictated by the SGPC and the Akal Takht.
The issue has already acquired a larger emotional pitch that no one is able to ignore.
Even as jail superintendent of the Central Jail in Patiala faces a contempt notice from the district court for refusing to execute the death warrant, L S Jhakkar maintains, "I will not be able to execute the warrant."
That's why the state is now exploring its legal options.
Additional Advocate General Anoopender Grewal told NDTV, "We will seek remedy of the higher court."
In fact, this issue has attracted such intense attention that CM Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal flew to the national capital just for a few hours to seek an appointment with the President.
Though they returned to Chandigarh late at night, they are expected to return to New Delhi as soon as the vote on account passes the floor test in the state Assembly. They hope to call on Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday evening, to press for clemency for Rajoana.
Meanwhile, section 144 has been imposed in Chandigarh for a day on 28th. And with a huge presence of paramilitary forces and flag marches, Punjab will see a cover of khaki on Wednesday as well when a number of Sikh organisations have called for a state wide bandh to push for clemency for Rajaona.
For a government already facing the heat, the court order has only added more pressure.
(Anand Patel and Kulwant Singh contributed to this story)