Khalistani Flags At Himachal Assembly: What It Says About The Movement’s Latest Efforts

On the morning of 8 May 2022, Khalistani flags were found tied at the gates of Himachal Pradesh Assembly. Slogans related to Khalistan were also found painted on the boundary walls.

Swift Action Taken: The incident saw strong reactions coming from Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister as well as security agencies.

-The borders of the state were sealed.

-FIR was filed under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and sections 153-A, 153-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3 of Himachal Pradesh Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985.

-Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel to banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has been named as the main accused in the case. Pannun had called for hoisting Khalistani flags in Shimla.

-CM Jai Ram Thakur warned of the strictest action against the guilty in the case.

Khalistani Terrorist’s Recent Attacks: Several attacks, planned by Khalistani forces, have occurred in the past few months. Some of them include:

-In September 2021, a blast took place in Jalalabad, Punjab. A tiffin bomb exploded killing the bomb planter, identified as Binder Singh. The NIA filed a charge sheet against the Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorists, including the mastermind, Lakhbir Singh Rode, head of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). The plan was to plant several bombs across Punjab.

-In December 2021, a blast took place in the Ludhiana court complex, injuring six. The alleged bomber, Gagandeep Singh, a dismissed cop, was killed in the blast. The NIA registered a case against Jaswinder Singh Multani, a member of SFJ. Multani was detained in Germany in December in connection with the blast.

-On 23 April 2022, a tiffin bomb was found near the boundary wall of Model Jail in Sector 51, Chandigarh, which was later defused by NSG. Several Khalistani terrorists are lodged in the jail.

-On 29 April 2022, clashes were reported in Patiala after SFJ gave the call of hoisting Khalistani flags across Punjab and Haryana. Videos emerging from Patiala showed how a mob of Khalistani supporters hurled stones outside Kali Mata temple and brandished swords.

Pakistan Sheltering Khalistani Force: On 5 May 2022, four Khalistani terrorists were caught transporting weapons, cartridges, and explosives like RDX to Adilabad in Telangana.

-The investigation has found that they obtained the material through a drone sent from across the border.

-Those caught were working at the behest of Harvinder Singh Rinda, a Khalistani terrorist operating out of Pakistan.

Bottom line: There are firm indications that the Khalistani movement is seeking to revive itself. The Khalistani terrorists and masterminds are being sheltered by Pakistan’s ISI. Post the abrogation of Article 370, it seems like another desperate attempt by Pakistan to keep the proxy war with India alive. India’s response against these provocations must be unanimous and swift.