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Pro-Khalistan slogans found at Sirsa Dera’s Punjab headquarters
Pro-Khalistan slogans were found scribbled on the walls of Dera Sacha Sauda’s Punjab headquarters at Salabatpura village, 40 kms from Bathinda city, on Thursday morning
Pro-Khalistan slogans were found scribbled on the walls of Dera Sacha Sauda’s Punjab headquarters at Salabatpura village, 40 kms from Bathinda city, on Thursday morning.
Phul deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Aaswant Dhaliwal said a police team deployed in the sensitive area noticed the slogans written on three sides of the dera’s compound.
“Four teams have been constituted to investigate the matter. CCTV cameras in the area are being scanned to get clues,” said the DSP. A case has been registered against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, co-founder of the banned US-based Sikhs for Justice under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after his purported video claiming responsibility for the incident was shared on social media.
In the past couple of months, similar incidents have been reported across Punjab and even in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, wherein pro-Khalistan slogans were found written on the walls of government buildings, educational institutes, temples and along highways among other places. Pannu has been booked for conspiracy in most of these cases, while some locals have been arrested too.
Sangrur MP objects to criminal cases
Meanwhile, newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Sangrur Simranjit Singh Mann on Thursday objected to criminal cases being registered against those writing pro-Khalistan slogans at various places in Punjab.
Addressing a press conference in Bathinda, Mann said there is no criminality in raising slogans or holding peaceful conventions supporting Khalistan. “There is a clear-cut order of the Supreme Court in this regard. There is no justification in the police action in lodging FIRs,” said Mann.
Mann said his victory in the Sangrur byelection indicated that people had resentment over the Aam Aadmi Party government’s “non-performance” in sacrilege cases. The Lok Sabha member also announced that he will be raising demand for an early election of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee at the forthcoming monsoon session of the Parliament.
