Extremism Updates

12-Apr-2020

Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh appealed to the people of the state not to step out of their homes on Baisakhi, which will be celebrated on April 13, and follow the ongoing lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus outbreak. He also asked them to pray from their homes at 11 am on April 13 for the state’s victory over the deadly COVID-19 ‘enemy’ and the safety of children.

12-Apr-2020

Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh said that “The only good thing that has come out of COVID is that the drug supply line has broken. So, we are happy.” He has been at the forefront in the battle against drug addiction since he became chief minister in March 2017. “I have been informed that the supply line of the drugs has been broken. So, heroin and all these things which were being smuggled are no longer happening,” the CM said. Recently, the Centre had identified 272 districts across the country as hugely affected by the drug menace and was planning to implement an ‘addiction-free India’ initiative to address the issue. According to the Narcotics Control Bureau, 18 out of Punjab’s 22 districts were in the grip of drug menace.

11-Apr-2020

Sikh leader and Congress MP (Member of Parliament) Pratap Singh Bajwa urged the India government to prevent Pakistani interference in the investigation of the Kabul Gurudwara terror attack in which 25 Sikhs were killed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) recently. Bajwa in a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pointed out that the Imran Khan government on April 9 had asked Afghanistan to hand over the recently arrested ISKP terrorist involved to Pakistan. The Afghan security forces had arrested Farooqi on April 5 for the March 25 terror attack. “Pakistan’'s demand for Farooqi’s custody is an attempt by Pakistan to hide information regarding their involvement in the terror attack," Bajwa said. Though the Afghanistan government on April 10 declined Pakistan’s request, Bajwa pleaded with the central government to ensure that all steps were taken to prevent Pakistan's interference in the case.

10-Apr-2020

Punjab Police registered two cases against pro-Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for seditious automated calls aimed at instigating the people, particularly youth, against the state government during the Covid19 lockdown. The Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said that the cases have been registered against Pannun and the US-based SFJ under Section 124A of the IPC, and Sections 10 (a) and 13 (1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, at the State Special Operations Cell, Mohali. According to Mohali police, preliminary probe revealed that Pannun was involved in the commission of seditious acts of advocating secession of Punjab through automated calls as well as pre-recorded audio messages to various residents of Punjab and nearby areas in March and April 2020, with the intention to foment trouble in the state.

09-Apr-2020

When the State authorities are busy with all the efforts to check the spread of the corona virus outbreak, the US-based pro-Khalistan outfit, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) is pushing its secessionist agenda by promising Rs 2000 each for coronavirus positive persons in the state and asking people if they support SFJ or the governments led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. For the past many days, residents of Punjab, including lawyers, the top police officers, media and others, were getting recorded interactive voice response (IVR) messages of SFJ ‘legal advisor’ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun from phone numbers having US ISD code. These call messages, which promise Rs 2000 aid to patients, also ask the receiver to ‘press 1’ if they agree with the policies of SFJ or ‘press 2’ if they agree with the policy of Centre government led by PM Modi and Punjab government. The chief of Punjab Police Intelligence Wing, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Varinder Kumar, said that police were seized of the matter and had discussed the issue with Centre also. He said the police had earlier got blocked one of the numbers, but Pannun started using another number to send the recorded voice messages. Police believe that recorded messages are being routed through some Call Center.

08-Apr-2020

Lawyers of Punjab and Haryana High Court are receiving recorded calls from the New York-based pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which was banned by India last year, seeking their opinion about its so-called movement to "free" Punjab from India. According to reports, the recorded calls instigate listeners against the central government and the Punjab administration using the novel coronavirus pandemic as an excuse. Referring to the tough action taken by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi against those violating lockdown norms, the pro-Khalistan group has also accused them of ‘torturing’ youngsters. SFJ also claimed that it is paying Rs 2,000 to Punjab's Covid-19 victims. However, it could not be substantiated. Sources in the intelligence agencies confirmed that similar calls are being made on behalf of SFJ for the past one week in other parts of Punjab. These calls are made from only one US-based number +18336101020. The lawyers' numbers seem to have been taken from the e-directory or may have been provided by somebody. "Votaan raahi Punjab nu Bharat de kabje ton Azaad karvana chahnde haan, par Captain te Modi di sarkar corona kahar de hondeyan bhi Punjab de naujawana te tasdaat kar rahi hai. Sikhs For Justice corona kahar de peeditaan nu Rs 2,000 de rahi hai te Captain di sarkar ik bar pher bharma rahi hai sirf vadeyaan naal. (We want to free Punjab from the occupation of India through votes. Captain and Modi governments are using force against the youth of Punjab despite the current crisis due to coronavirus. SFJ is paying Rs 2,000 to the victims of Covid-19 but Captain's government is still misleading with mere promises)," goes the recorded call. The recording also includes a simple poll. "Asi tuhade tonh ek sawaal puchhna chahnde haan, je tussi SFJ di nitiyaan naal sahmat ho to ek dabao, je Modi or Captain di nityaan to sahmat ho taan do dabao. (We want to ask one question, if you endorse the ideology of SFJ, then press one and if you support Modi or Captain, then press two)." The recording is apparently in voice of its legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, but it could not be confirmed.

08-Apr-2020

The Sarbat Khalsa appointed Akal Takht Jathedar Jagtar Singh Hawara directed the Sikh community to recite Chaupai Sahib and pray for the high morale of Sikh community on the eve of the Vaisakhi this year. He also directed the Sikhs to hoist Kesri flags on the top of their houses and seek a safe exit of humanity from this covid19 pandemic.

07-Apr-2020

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticized Pakistan PM Imran Khan over pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla's allegation that land in Nankana Sahib belonging to Guru Nanak Dev was being grabbed by the rich by paying money and there was a collusion with the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) of Pakistan. "Lands belonging to Gurdwara Sahibs are sold to Rich & Mighty of Pak as part of a well-planned strategy to take over worship places of minority Sikhs Gopal Chalwa has exposed atrocities & misuse of land by ETPB Officials; would PM @ImranKhanPTI take some action? @thetribunechd," Sirsa tweeted.

07-Apr-2020

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) demanded quashing of an FIR against the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) for allegedly providing shelter and food to stranded devotees, who had sought refuge in Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla in the wake of Covid-induced lockdown. Terming it as an anti-Sikh move, the SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said that overlooking the social and charitable works being undertaken by various Sikh institutions, the FIR against the DSGMC by the Kejriwal government testified its narrow approach.

07-Apr-2020

05-Apr-2020

The Jathedar of the Takht Patna Sahib, Giani Ranjit Singh urged the Prime Minister Narender Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to quash the FIR (First Information Report) registered by the Delhi Government against Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) for providing shelter and food to stranded passengers who had sought refuge in Gurdwara Manju Ka till due to lockdown. He highlighted the social and charitable works being undertaken by various Sikhs institutions worldwide and told that at present 100 gurdwaras are providing langar to standard people in Punjab due to lockdown.

04-Apr-2020

The Khalistani militant, Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar was released from Amritsar Central Jail for six weeks on parole. Bhullar, who has been serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 Delhi blast that killed nine people and wounded several others, was among 529 prisoners who have been released from jail in an attempt to decongest Indian prisons in view on the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

04-Apr-2020

The acting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh directed the Sikh community to hold symbolic celebrations for Vaisakhi this year, amid ongoing coronavirus outbreak in Punjab. He has directed the Sikh masses to stay indoors and listen Gurbani Kirtan on TV while offering prayers at their homes.

02-Apr-2020

Former Hazoori Ragi (permanent gurbani singer) of the Golden Temple, Giani Nirmal Singh, who tested positive for the coronavirus, died in Amritsar. The Padma Shri recipient returned from abroad recently and was admitted to the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital after he complained of breathlessness and dizziness on March 30.

01-Apr-2020

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered an FIR in a case relating to terror attack on a Gurudwara at Kabul, Afghanistan in which 27 devotees were killed and several others injured. The NIA said it has registered the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and under the provisions of Section 6 (8) of the NIA Act and started an investigation into the recent attack. This is the first case of its kind which NIA has registered as the recent amendments in the NIA Act, which empowered the agency to investigate terror cases that are committed at any place outside India against the Indian citizens or affecting the interest of India.

31-Mar-2020

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticized Pakistan after pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla said that land in Nankana Sahib belonging to Guru Nanak Dev was being grabbed by the rich by paying money and there was collusion by Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) of Pakistan. He said on the Twitter that minorities are suffering a lot in Pakistan and PM Imran Khan must take swift action to regain the trust of Sikhs. "We stand committed to protect Gurdwara Sahibs & properties of Gurdwara Committees of Pakistan", the SAD leader said. He also added that the issue would be raised at a global level if government of Pakistan fails to address the concerns.

31-Mar-2020

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that keeping in view the ongoing lockdown and curfew in the state due to the corona virus outbreak, it would not be advisable for devotees to assemble at Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo to celebrate Baisakhi. He said that he would request Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to ponder to on the issue, take a decision and make an appeal to the community.

31-Mar-2020

The Special Task Force (STF) arrested a couple, identified as Gagandeep Singh and his wife Sonia along with 260 gm heroin from near Kakuwala on Sangrur-Patran road in Sangrur district. The couple was arrested while they were travelling on a motorcycle to New Delhi to allegedly smuggle the heroin worth Rs 1.30 crores in the market.

31-Mar-2020

Two Ludhiana-based Sikhs, Shankar Singh of Chhawni Mohalla and Jiwan Singh of Nanak Nagar, who were among the 25 persons killed in the deadly Gurudwara attack in Kabul, were cremated in Daresi in Ludhiana district. The kin of both deceased said the two were permanent residents of Afghanistan and they had learnt the native language.

31-Mar-2020

Police arrested three drug peddlers, identified as Gurwinder Singh, Satwinder Singh and Kamaljeet Singh along with 25-gram heroin and 740 narcotic pills in Moga district.

30-Mar-2020

The mortal remains of three Afghan Sikhs, who were among the 25 Sikhs killed in the terrorist attack on Gurudwara in Kabul on March 25, were brought back to India. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa and the former DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK received their mortal remains.

29-Mar-2020

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) asked for donations to continue providing food to people affected by the nationwide lockdown put in place to contain the COVID-19 spread. The DSGMC has been providing free food to around 50,000 people mostly migrant workers and daily wagers in the national capital daily amid the lockdown.

29-Mar-2020

The Sikh bodies demanded the release of what they describe as ‘political prisoners’ amid the threat of coronavirus (Covid-19) looming over Punjab and its prisons. According to them, many of these prisoners had already completed their sentences, while a few of them were already on parole.

26-Mar-2020

The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 5 kg heroin and an imported pistol from the Zero Line along the border in Ferozepur district.

26-Mar-2020

Even though the terror group, as Islamic State claimed the responsibility for the attack in a Sikh Gurudwara in Kabul, Afghanistan, the Indian Intelligence sources pointed to a Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) link to the bloody episode which left the world shocked in the middle of a global war against coronavirus. Sources said that Pakistan’s militant organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Haqqani network is reported to have attacked the Gurudwara to scarce the minuscule Sikh community of Afghanistan. "It is believed that the militants were based in Khurram and Hangu districts of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan," sources said.

Showing 9176 to 9615 of 10983 records