In a video statement released on May 8, the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief and designated terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu claimed that the Khalistan flags that were found tied to the main gate and boundary wall of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Dharamshala were sent by them. He claimed that the flags were sent to the state via his activists who went to Mandi with Bhagwant Mann to participate in an Arvind Kejriwal Jansabha on May 6.
It may be recalled that on Sunday, May 9, the Himachal police probing the case had named Pannu as the prime accused in the case and booked him under the stringent UAPA.
In the video release, the US-based terrorist group’s chief was also heard reiterating the terror outfit’s propaganda about a so-called referendum for the secession of Punjab from India as Khalistan. “Today, Sikhs raised 5 Khalistan flags in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. These flags were sent by Sikhs during AAP’s Jansabha in Mandi. They were raised today in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. This is about the independence of Punjab,” said Pannu.
“Since Kejriwal-Mann lured pro-Khalistan Sikhs into donating over $6 million to AAP during the Punjab election, SFJ will use activists who are close to CM Bhagwant Mann to promote the Khalistan Referendum,” SFJ general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun added in the video.
“Khalistan flags at Dharamshala is a clear message to CM Jai Ram Thakur that Himachal Pradesh will be reclaimed through Khalistan Referendum and once again will be part of Punjab,” Pannun said.
It may be recalled that a day after Aam Aadmi Party’s massive victory in Punjab assembly elections in March this year, the pro-Khalistan secessionist group “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) has sent a letter to Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann saying that AAP clearly won the elections by deceptively bagging the votes of pro- Khalistan Sikhs in Punjab who support SFJ’s secessionist referendum for the independence of Punjab from India.
In a letter released by the SFJ, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the anti-India outfit, made a sensational allegation that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP treacherously used Khalistan votes and funds to win Punjab.
Khalistan flags placed on Himachal Pradesh Assembly gates, police books SJF chief under UAPA
On Sunday morning, Khalistan flags were found tied to the main gate and boundary wall of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Dharamshala. Moreover, ‘Khalistan’ was inscribed in green on the outermost wall of the Assembly.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Jairam Thakur asked the state police to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the provocative incident. The SIT, in turn, filed a first information report (FIR) was filed against Pannun under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for inciting or abetting terror acts and Indian Penal Code Sections 153A and 153B for promoting disharmony or enmity between different groups on the basis of religion.
He was additionally charged by the state police under Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985.
The FIR was filed against Pannun in response to a complaint filed by Ram Chand, a resident of Kaned village in Dharamshala’s Kangra district, informed Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu, adding that, “Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the general counsel to Sikhs for Justice, has been made the main accused in the case.”
Kundu further stated that a seven-person Special Investigation Team has been created to investigate the case.
