KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Jun-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops, On June 10, in a joint operation with Punjab Police, recovered 536 grams of heroin near Rajatal village in Amritsar district.
10-Jun-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 10 recovered a broken drone from the fields adjacent to Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran district.
10-Jun-2024
Commandants stationed at Frontier Headquarters in Jalandhar on June 10 convened to deliberate and strategize essential operational, administrative, and logistical matters. In addition to enhancing operational readiness, they assessed the current security landscape, ensuring comprehensive preparedness to address potential threats effectively.
09-Jun-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 9 intercepted a drone and subsequently recovered a packet of heroin weighing 530 grams along with the drone near Rattankhurd village in in Amritsar district.
09-Jun-2024
On June 9, Ravneet Singh Bittu, a three-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Punjab and a vocal critic of pro-Khalistan hardliners, was inducted into Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's council of ministers in New Delhi. Bittu, the grandson of assassinated former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh, is known for his tough stance against the Khalistan movement and high parliamentary engagement.
09-Jun-2024
According to sources, Canadian intelligence chief David Vigneault made two unannounced visits to India in February and March 2024 to discuss the killing of Khalistan terrorist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Vigneault provided Indian officials with intercepted communications and other information related to the case. This occurred before Canada arrested four Indian nationals in connection with Nijjar's murder.
09-Jun-2024
A three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the alleged incident where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Kangana Ranaut was slapped by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) woman constable Kulwinder Kaur.
09-Jun-2024
On June 9, several farmer organizations, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), participated in a protest march demanding a fair investigation in the case involving Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) woman constable Kulwinder Kaur, who was booked for slapping Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament-elect Kangana Ranaut in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district, Punjab.
09-Jun-2024
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on June 9 directed all senior police officers, from Additional Director Generals of Police (ADGP) to Station House Officers (SHOs), to be present in their offices from 11 am to 1 pm on working days to address public grievances. At the Punjab Police Headquarters (PPHQ) in Chandigarh, senior officers have designated days to meet with citizens: Special DGP (Welfare) Ishwar Singh on Monday, ADGP Security SS Srivastava on Tuesday, ADGP Traffic AS Rai on Wednesday, ADGP Provisioning G Nageswara Rao on Thursday, and Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla on Friday.
08-Jun-2024
According to sources, tensions in Punjab have escalated as Khalistani sympathizers scored election victories, with pro-Khalistan slogans heard at the Golden Temple in Amritsar during the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star. Security measures around the temple have been heightened. Notably, Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh clinched the Khadoor Sahib seat and is linked to violent activities. The Punjab Police are cracking down on his emerging militia, Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF), confiscating firearms and apprehending associates. This renewed pro-Khalistan agitation underscores the enduring impact of Operation Blue Star and ongoing separatist sentiments.
08-Jun-2024
Khalistani preacher and Member of Parliament (MP) from Khadoor Sahib, Amritpal Singh, was visited on June 8 by his parents, Tarsem Singh and Balwinder Kaur, at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam, where he has been detained since April 2023 under the National Security Act (NSA). His mother brought sweets and new clothes for his upcoming oath-taking ceremony. They also appealed to the central government to drop all charges against him to enable him to fulfil his duties in the Lok Sabha.
08-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, on June 8 recovered a packet containing 500 grams of heroin, near the Attari joint check post, near Attari village in Amritsar district.
08-Jun-2024
On June 8, hundreds of activists from the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Doaba) staged a protest against the suspension of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable Kulwinder Kaur, who had slapped Bollywood actor and newly-elected Member of Parliament (MP) Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh Airport. The protest took place at Bus Stand Chowk in Goraya, Jalandhar district, Punjab, where slogans were raised against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and an effigy of Kangana was burnt. BKU (Doaba) leaders warned of escalating their agitation against the BJP and Kangana unless the First Information Report (FIR) against Kaur was withdrawn, asserting that the protest would continue until their demand was met.
07-Jun-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on June 7 filed charges against seven more accused in the high-profile case involving a narcotics haul of over 100 kilograms in Attari, at the Patiala House Court in New Delhi. These individuals were identified as key operatives in an international drug syndicate. Earlier, the NIA had charged four others and established connections to Afghanistan-based Nazir Ahmed Qani and Dubai-based Shahid Ahmed in the smuggling operation. The investigation unveiled the intricate smuggling and distribution network, resulting in multiple arrests.
07-Jun-2024
According to a senior official, India formally raised the issue with Canada on June 7, concerning a float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi during a pro-Khalistan protest outside its consulate in Vancouver. A formal diplomatic complaint was conveyed to Global Affairs Canada, highlighting concerns over the promotion of violence and anti-India sentiment.
07-Jun-2024
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Constable Kulwinder Kaur was arrested and suspended on June 7 for slapping actress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport. Kaur was allegedly upset over Ranaut’s remarks about the farmers’ protests and has connections to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC).
07-Jun-2024
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun praised Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Constable Kulwinder Kaur on June 7 for slapping Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport. He also offered a USD 10,000 reward.
07-Jun-2024
On June 7, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami defended Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Constable Kulwinder Kaur's assault on actress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport. Dhami blamed Ranaut's critical remarks about Punjab and Punjabis in a statement, claiming her comments on terrorism in Punjab were inflammatory.
07-Jun-2024
The police on June 7 filed a chargesheet against seven members of Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gang for planning to kill gangster Bhupi Rana, identified as Sunny alias Maddy Manchanda, Umang, Kailash Chauhan alias Tiger, Anmolpreet Singh, Maya alias Kashish alias Pooja Sharma, Baljeet Singh and Parwinder Singh alias Pindu, in Chandigarh. They were charged under various sections of the Arms Act, Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
07-Jun-2024
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Airports (North Sector) Vinay Kajla, in an interview with The Tribune on June 7, attributed CISF Constable Kulwinder Kaur’s assault on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport to a "rush of blood," influenced by Ranaut's past statements regarding women in the farmers' protest. He acknowledged the security breach and initiated preventive measures, terming it a "random act" rather than an internal intelligence failure.
07-Jun-2024
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district, on June 7 sentenced former Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dilbagh Singh to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and ex-Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gurbachan Singh to life imprisonment for a fake encounter case dating back to 1993. The court imposed a fine of INR 50,000 on Dilbagh Singh and INR 2 lakh on Gurbachan Singh. The case originated from a complaint filed by the victim's father, Chaman Lal, who alleged that his son Gulshan Kumar, a vegetable vendor, was unlawfully killed in a staged encounter orchestrated by the accused police officers.
06-Jun-2024
On June 6, slogans favouring Khalistan were raised at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, during the 40th anniversary of 'Operation Bluestar,' with supporters of radical Sikh outfits such as Dal Khalsa and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) (SAD-A) led by Simranjit Singh Mann participating. Many wore outfits featuring images of Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
06-Jun-2024
Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh, one of Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi's assassins, who won the Faridkot constituency in Punjab as an Independent, on June 6 stated that he received offers from both the NDA and UPA blocs but could not decide without consulting his constituents. He emphasized he would never join the Congress and preferred to remain Independent. Upon taking his oath as MP, he stated his plans to address three issues in the Lok Sabha: officially acknowledging Guru Granth Sahib as the ‘living Guru,’ releasing ‘Bandi Singhs,’ and securing guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.
06-Jun-2024
On June 6, on the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Raghbir Singh criticized the government's treatment of Sikhs and called for a humility-based Sikh political approach, in Amritsar in Punjab.
06-Jun-2024
On June 6, Amritsar city remained shut in response to a strike call from the radical organization Dal Khalsa, with nearly all commercial outlets, shops, showrooms, and shopping malls closed. Major markets and commercial hubs were deserted as police maintained vigilance to prevent any incidents.