E-Paper
Sikh man thrashed by 2 youths in Haryana
The man, identified as Sukhwinder Singh alias Babbu, a merchant, alleged that he was heading home on his scooter and had stopped a railway level-crossing while a train was passing when the incident took place.
Unidentified persons have been booked after a Sikh man alleged that he was thrashed and called a “Khalistani” by two motorcycle-borne youths near Pehowa chowk in Kaithal.
The man, identified as Sukhwinder Singh alias Babbu, a merchant, alleged that he was heading home on his scooter and had stopped a railway level-crossing while a train was passing when the incident took place.
In video, purportedly showing him after the attack, Babbu can be heard saying that the accused had asked him to move his vehicle aside and called him a Khalistani. He said when he objected to it, they opened attack and hit him with bricks.
Babbu added that he did not know the men.
Cops, meanwhile, said an FIR has been lodged and the matter is being investigated but so far there is no evidence the “Khalistani” slur was used.
Inspector Sheela Wanti, SHO civil line police station, said, “In his statement, the victim said the accused called him a Khalistani but it is still being probed and we have no other evidence to suggest so. As per the medical report given by the doctor, the complainant was found to be drunk.”
The SHO said based on the victim’s statements, a case under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 327 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort property) and 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against unidentified persons. Additionally, an SIT under DSP (AEC), Kaithal, Gurvinder Singh has been formed to probe the matter. Superintendent of police Upasana said that police teams are on the assailant’s trail but no arrests have been made so far.
SGPC, SAD, Congress condemn incident
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to take exemplary action against the culprits. “I and my party strongly condemn the dastardly attack on a peaceful Sikh youth in Kaithal by dubbing him as a separatist. This is the direct consequence of the politics of hate and communal polarisation that has come to afflict the country over the past decade,” he said on X.
“...This is a calculated attempt to humiliate the most patriotic community of the Sikhs. This will deepen the sense of Sikh hurt and alienation,” he said.
SGPC president H S Dhami, also took to X and wrote, “This incident has hurt the sentiments of the entire Sikh community. So, the Haryana government should take it seriously and ensure the safety of Sikhs living in the state.”
“The same politics of communal polarisation threatens to engulf Punjab, threatening peace and communal harmony here,” Dhami claimed.
Punjab Congress chief Warring wrote: “This attack on a Sikh youth in Kaithal Haryana is the result of hate speech against Punjabis by @KanganaTeam and many other @BJP4India backed IT cell platforms. Strictest actions must be taken, more importantly within the BJP to ensure this doesn’t spread like wildfire and doesn’t harm the communal harmony of our country,” he posted on X.
