On April 1 (local time), the banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) took responsibility for setting three major fires across Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. In a press release that was published on Facebook and Twitter accounts that claimed to be linked to the terrorist organisation, KLF’s Ranjodh Singh claimed responsibility for three fires that broke out at the Wazirpur factory in Delhi, Azma Hotel in Panchkula (Haryana) and Kanpur market.
Twitter account where the press release was published is withheld in India. There is no official word from any security agency if KLF’s claims are true. OpIndia could not verify the claims independently.
In English, it said, “Khalistan Liberation Force claims responsibility for the arson attacks in Delhi (Wazirpur), Kanpur (Market) and hotel Asma Revolving in Panchkula India. This is our response to Indian atrocities against the Sikh nation. We do not believe in killing civilians, our goal is to hit the Indian state’s infrastructure and economy. Long Live Khalistan!”
In the press release that was in Punjabi, the organisation took responsibility for the three attacks and called it a retaliation to the “continuous wave of repression against the Sikhs by the Hindutva government of India”. It added that their ‘war’ was not against the people but against the Indian State, economy, and infrastructure. This same organisation has been behind multiple assassinations over the years.
It further claimed those who faced financial loss had helped the rioters in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Furthermore, it was deemed as a response to sacrilege incidents in recent times. KLF claimed putting Sikhs in jail or killing pro-Khalistanis would not stop their war against India
They warned the Sikhs working for the police, Indian Army and security agencies to stop helping them; otherwise, they would face severe consequences. It also urged Sikhs to contribute to the war with mind, body and money.
The three fire incidents
On March 31, a fire broke out in Hamraj Market of Bansmandi, Kanpur. Hundreds of shops were gutted in the fire. On the same day, a massive fire broke out at a factory in Wazirpur, Delhi. The third incident took place in Panchkula’s Amravati Enclave at Aasma Hotel. The false ceiling reportedly caught fire and engulfed the hotel. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
About Khalistani Liberation Force
Khalistan Liberation Force of KLF is one of the Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist organisations responsible for assassinations, abductions and attacks on Indian security agencies. The terrorist group was responsible for multiple bombings during the insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2014, it was reported that the organisation was active in multiple countries and getting funding from the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Spain, among other countries. One of the operatives arrested by NIA linked to KLF was Jagtar Singh Johal (Jaggi), who is currently lodged in Tihar jail.
Jaggi was also accused of paying Rs.27 lakh to the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo (deceased) in France in 2013 to assassinate RSS leader Ravinder Gosain. His name also appeared in the attempt to murder Shiv Sena activist Amit Arora and firing at RSS Shakha in Kidwai Nagar in Ludhiana in 2016. Multiple campaigns are being run to prove he was innocent.
The Government of India banned the organisation under UAPA.
