SIMLA: Incidents of pro-Khalistan slogans, such as “Khalistan Zindabad” and “Himachal Banega Khalistan,” have surfaced in Himachal Pradesh, prompting police action against the activists.
This is not the first occurrence of such slogans in the state, as similar banners and graffiti were witnessed near the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in Dharamshala last year on May 7.
A case has been registered under sections 153-A and 153-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 3 of the HP Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985. Three youths from Punjab were arrested for inscribing pro-Khalistan slogans near Mata Chintpurni Temple in Una district, Himachal Pradesh.
Una Superintendent of Police stated that the accused, identified as Phool Chand (26), Arjinder Singh (28), and Harry (21), were apprehended from Dhesiya and Surja villages in Punjab’s Jalandhar district. The trio had written slogans advocating Khalistan on walls near Mata Chintpurni Temple. A video surfaced on the internet featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of Sikhs For Justice, displaying the graffiti and asserting that Congress leaders allegedly involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots would not be spared.
Based on the video clip, Pannun was named as a co-accused and the main conspirator in the case, and he has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The arrests and legal actions underscore the sensitivity and implications of such pro-Khalistan activities in the region.
