KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
20-Aug-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 4 kg of heroin from near Mohar Sona border outpost of Fazilka district in the evening. According to official sources, during a search, the BSF team recovered four packets from the agricultural fields of a farmer, Bhagwan Singh, of Retewali Bhaini village. The consignment was allegedly pushed from the Pakistan side into the Indian territory.
20-Aug-2020
Police arrested a 19-year-old youth, identified as Akashdeep Singh from Bathinda in Bathinda district in connection with the case pertaining to putting up a ‘Khalistan flag’ on the terrace of district administrative complex on August 14. Two men, Jaspal Singh and Inderjeet Singh Gill in their early twenties are absconding and Jaspal is the son of a Punjab Police inspector. According to police, Akashdeep, who reportedly filmed the incident and Jaspal and Inderjeet had put up the flag with Khalistan written on it on the terrace of the administrative complex at 8:15am on August 14. While fleeing, the two men also removed and took along the Tricolour hoisted on the premises.
20-Aug-2020
Some activists of SAD (Amritsar) and Dal Khalsa staged a protest outside the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office, alleging illegal detention of a sister of one of the accused and a minor boy in connection with Khalistan flag hoisting case.
20-Aug-2020
The Dal Khalsa said that the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal was planned against universally accepted riparian principles with an eye on looting the scarce water resources of Punjab and the digging of SYL was next to impossible and that the people of Punjab would not allow this to happen. It categorically stated that Punjab owns the waters of the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas and no legislation or court could deprive the state of its legitimate right of ownership. Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the ghost of the SYL canal has cropped up again to haunt the people of Punjab. “We will defend the rights of the state at any cost,” he added.
19-Aug-2020
Four persons, identified as Rupinder Singh alias Rim, Yudhvir Singh alias Jony, Gurjeet and Aman Sharma, were arrested for allegedly having raised a flag with the words ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ in Chaupal village in Sirsa in Sirsa district of Haryana. According to a spokesperson for Haryana Police, two of the four were involved in hoisting the flag and the other two shot the video and posted it on social media. Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the spokesperson said.
16-Aug-2020
Some miscreants had replaced the national flag with the Khalistani flag near a Gurudwara in Dhudike village of Moga district.
16-Aug-2020
According to reports, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is facing a massive setback due to the pro-active policies of the Indian government for the welfare of the Sikh community. Consequently, it is overburdening its proxy organizations like Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) to launch smear propaganda against India amongst the Sikh diaspora. The sinister attempts of the ISI as well as its proxies are proving to be absolute failure, adding to the frustration of Pakistan.
16-Aug-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered three packets of heroin weighing 3.26 kg, worth Rs 15 crore, and a China-made pistol (.30 bore) and a magazine near border outpost Shameke along the zero line in Ferozepur sector in Ferozepur district.
15-Aug-2020
A controversy erupted when a Khalistan flag was hoisted at a Gurudwara in Dhudike village in Moga district. According to villagers, national flag was hoisted on the premises of the gurdwara in the presence of village sarpanch. The Gurudwara committee, however, objected to the tricolour being hoisted there. The tricolour was taken off. Later, some persons allegedly installed a saffron flag with ‘Khalistan’ written on it on the spot. The villagers removed that flag also and handed it over to police, claiming that they did not know who was behind it. Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmanbir Singh Gill, said that the controversy happened due to “internal party politics” in the village. “Khalistan written over the saffron flag was not even legible,” he said.
15-Aug-2020
Police arrested a drug peddler, identified as Mangat Singh alias Manga along with one-kilogram poppy husk in Nakodar in Jalandhar district.
15-Aug-2020
Punjab Police registered cases against 45 persons, while 15 of them have been identified, for raising 'Khalistan Zindabad' slogans at BR Ambedkar Chowk in Jalandhar. Few Sikh organisations, including women and other minority groups, demanded 'Freedom of Khalistan' amid the Independence Day celebrations. While the Khalistani supporters declared their arrest unjust, police claimed that they broke Covid19 safety guidelines. In order to 'put an end' to the protest, cops took them away in a van at the Police Lines. The protesters led by Prof Mohinderpal Singh, general secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) –(SAD-Amritsar) at Patiala were carrying placards on which it was written: Under UAPA, I am a terrorist”. He said, “It has been 73 long years since India got freedom, but nothing has changed. The litany of grouses, grievances, and grudges of Sikh people against India has grown with every passing year, in fact with every passing day. The protesters at Gurdaspur led by Dal Khalsa general secretary Paramjit Singh Tanda demanded the release of political prisoners, including including PinjraTod girls, Jaggi Johal, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Prof Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and others.
14-Aug-2020
Just a day before the Independence Day, two miscreants managed to reach the terrace of the four-storeyed district administrative complex in Moga in the morning and put up a saffron flag with Khalistan written on it, while their accomplice filmed the incident from a distance. The miscreants, while fleeing, took away the Tricolour on the ground floor and allegedly tore it. Later, Police personnel put up a new Tricolour and removed the saffron flag from the roof of the building. Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmanbir Singh Gill said that two youngsters brought along the saffron flag at 8.15am. “It was a normal flag with the Khanda symbol but they had written Khalistan on it with paint.” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kaustubh Sharma said, “We have CCTV footage of the accused and will arrest them soon.”
14-Aug-2020
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh directed police to take strict action against the miscreants responsible for hoisting a 'Khalistan' flag in the Moga administrative complex. He also appealed to youngsters not to get swayed by the vicious propaganda of anti-India elements like terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). "You try to come to Punjab and I will teach you a lesson," the CM warned Pannun, adding that any attempt to disturb the state's peace would be dealt with an iron hand. The CM said that he directed Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to ensure that the two miscreants identified in the Moga incident are arrested at the earliest so that deterrent action can be taken against them, as per the law. Punjab Police has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for the duo, whose CCTV grabs have been released.
12-Aug-2020
The security agencies are on high alert as the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) is learnt to have announced a $125,000 reward for anyone who hoists a Khalistan flag at the Red Fort on Independence Day on August 15. Delhi Police was busy coordinating with different security establishments ahead of Independence Day when it was alerted to the SFJ offer.
11-Aug-2020
The security agencies are on high alert as the banned pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) have announced a $125,000 reward for anyone who hoists a Khalistan flag at the Red Fort on Independence Day on August 15. Delhi police along with different security establishments were alerted after the SFJ offer. Over 45,000 security personnel will guard every nook and corner of the city on Independence Day, besides over 2,000 snipers deputed at specific locations on high-rise buildings in the 5-km periphery around the Red Fort. Meanwhile, the security agencies have assured that it is "just an attempt by the SFJ to create panic".
11-Aug-2020
Police arrested five drug peddlers and seized drug money amounting to Rs 22.50 lakh from them at Verka in Amritsar district. Police claimed that the arrested persons used to smuggle heroin and opium from Jammu and Kashmir and sell in Punjab. The accused have been identified as Savinder Pal Singh alias Shind, Jagdeep Singh alias Kaka, Karamjit Singh alias Mana, Paramjit Singh alias Pamma and Rajwinder Singh alias Raju.
10-Aug-2020
The World Punjabi Organisation president Vikramjit S Sahney will organize chartered flights to evacuate over 400 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan in next few days in coordination with DSGMC and Indian Embassy in Kabul.
10-Aug-2020
The Punjab and Haryana high court said that persons accused of peddling drugs need to be dealt with firmly and no sympathy can be shown to them lest that should prove to be counter-productive and result in increased drug trafficking.
09-Aug-2020
Police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Harwinder Singh and Balwinder Singh after they recovered five kilograms opium and fifty kilograms poppy husk from the onion laden truck from near Boparai Kalan in Sudhar area in Ludhiana district.
09-Aug-2020
Some media persons informed Lucknow Police that an audio message in a female voice was doing the rounds in which a woman is heard urging people to protest against Ram temple construction terming it a step towards making India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. The message further instigates the followers of a certain faith to demand a separate country on the lines of Khalistan.
09-Aug-2020
The anti-terror unit of Delhi Police Special Cell, which is probing a series of hate calls made to people ahead of Independence Day, has lodged an FIR of sedition and conspiracy and is trying to track down the caller. Complaints about VoIP calls being made from international numbers were made to police stating that the caller, a man, was inciting members of some communities to take “steps” towards dividing the country into smaller nations. The caller asked people to make a start by not allowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hoist the national flag at Red Fort on Independence Day. He also called for the formation of “Urdustan” on the lines of Khalistan.
07-Aug-2020
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) charged eight people of an International narco-terror gang, operating from Pakistan and Dubai, in connection with alleged smuggling of 500 kg heroin, through Gujarat sea route. NIA, in its charge sheet, said its probe showed that the heroin was brought in three trips from Pakistan through the sea route at Gujarat by the gang which was acting in conspiracy with Pakistani nationals. All three consignments were clandestinely transported to Punjab, NIA spokesperson Sonia Narang said.
07-Aug-2020
The Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh said that, “The place where Ram Temple is being built up is important for Hindus. Equally important are the Gurdwaras for Sikhs, which were demolished in India.” He said, “I congratulate Hindu society for construction of Ram Temple, but I would like to say that Gurdwara Gian Godri (Haridwar), Gurdwara Dangmar Sahib (Sikkim) and Gurdwara Mangu Mutt (Puri) are as important and sacred places for Sikhs as Ram Temple for Hindus.”
06-Aug-2020
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) decided that the entire cost of bringing the Sikhs living in Afghanistan to India would be borne by the SGPC.
03-Aug-2020
After getting bail, the 65-year-old NRI Joginder Singh Gujjar claims he has nothing to do with pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) or its campaign for Khalistan ‘Referendum 2020’. He got bail after four weeks of being arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) after police told the court that they could not find any evidence against him. About a picture with SFJ leader Avtar Singh Pannun, Gujjar says that in 2019, Pannun had come to a Guruwara in Italy. Gujjar, who was president of the Gurudwara committee, says the committee decided to honour Pannun and others. “I was asked to give siropa (robe of honour) to Pannun. I don’t know him personally till date and not aware of his profile or activities,” he claims. He said that he had been living in Italy for the past 25 years and running a small shop there. He insists he is not involved in any political or secessionist activities.