E-Paper
Security tightened in Jalandhar after schools receive threat emails ahead of PM’s visit
Punjab Police term threats “frivolous” but on high alert; PM Modi to rename Adampur airport and visit Dera Sachkhand Ballan on Sunday.
Security was stepped up in Jalandhar after four schools received bomb threat emails on Saturday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the district. The emails, which reportedly contained anti-government rhetoric and references to separatist sentiments, prompted an immediate response from state and local security agencies.
Jalandhar commissioner of police Dhanpreet Kaur Randhawa said the standard operating protocol (SOP) was pressed into action and all precautionary exigency measures were activated. “The anti-sabotage teams searched the schools and the areas surrounding the schools,” she said.
No suspicious object or activity was detected during the comprehensive search operations.
Senior police officials said preliminary investigation suggests the threats were “frivolous” in nature. “
The emails reportedly linked the threats to the Prime Minister’s stance against Khalistani activities, specifically citing the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, Canada, on June 18, 2023. One of the emails said while they held “full respect” for Guru Ravidass and dera head Sant Niranjan Dass, they viewed the PM as an “enemy”.
All government and private schools in the district were already closed on Saturday on account of the Shobha Yatra marking the 649th Guru Ravidass Jayanti.
The threat emails reportedly made references to the Prime Minister’s visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan and mentioned international incidents involving radical elements as a pretext for the threats. The police are currently working with cyber-intelligence units to trace the origin of the communications.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive at Adampur airport at 3.45pm on Sunday. During the visit, he will officially rename the facility as Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport, Adampur, and virtually inaugurate a new terminal building at Halwara airport in Ludhiana.
According to a government spokesperson, the renaming honours the teachings of equality and dignity espoused by the saint. Following the airport event, PM Modi will reach Dera Sachkhand Ballan by 4.30pm and will depart around 5.25pm.
The visit carries significant social and political weight in the Doaba region, which is the heartland of Punjab’s Dalit politics. Punjab has the highest Dalit population in India at 32%, a figure that rises to nearly 45% in the Doaba belt. Dera Sachkhand Ballan is a primary spiritual seat for the Ravidassia community and is believed to hold considerable influence over voters in at least 19 of the 23 assembly segments in the region.
To ensure a smooth visit, the administration has declared Jalandhar a no-flying zone for the duration of the VVIP movement, grounding all civil aviation and drone activity.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav also visited the dera on Friday to personally review the multi-tier security arrangements.
The PM’s visit comes shortly after the Union government conferred the Padma Shri upon dera head Sant Niranjan Dass, signalling a significant outreach to the community ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
