Even as the Punjab Police registered an FIR against theISI-backed Khalistan idealogue over his continued attempts to promote violencein the state and his recent assassination threat against the Punjab ChiefMinister, Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday warned Gurpatwant Singh Pannuagainst any attempt to disturb the state’s peace, stability and communalharmony.
Asserting that any bid by the banned Sikhs for Justice(SFJ) and its self-styled General Counsel to create trouble in Punjab would becountered with the full might of his government, the Chief Minister said,“Nobody will be allowed to disturb the hard-earned peace of Punjab and againplunge our people into the dark abyss of the terrorism days, which tookthousands of innocent lives,” declared Captain Amarinder, warning of abefitting response to SFJ’s disruptive and divisive acts.
Noting that as the land of the Gurus, who had alwayspropagated the ideology of oneness of humanity, Punjab was home to all people,regardless of religion, caste and creed, the Chief Minister said Pannu’spathetic attempts to once again fan hatred, divisiveness and violence in thename of religion and in the garb of a peaceful secessionist campaign for theattainment of Khalistan has already been strongly repudiated by the people ofPunjab and India, who want to live and prosper in peace. All political leadersand parties had condemned Pannu’s Pak ISI funded campaign for a separatenation, the CM noted.
The Chief Minister’s strong warning to Pannu came even asthe Punjab Police on Monday registered an FIR against the SFJ leader forissuing an assassination threat against the former through a video posted onSFJ’s Facebook page.
The FIR (no. 34) has been registered against Pannu, hisassociates, and SFJ members at State Cyber Crime Police Station SAS Nagar,under Sections 10 (a) and 13 (1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967, besides sections 153, 153A IPC and Section-124 A of IPC, disclosed DGPDinkar Gupta, adding that Pannu had been found promoting violent extremistaction and threatening assassination of the Chief Minister, an electedconstitutional Head of government of the State of Punjab.
Citing preliminary investigations into the video postedon August 28, the DGP said the said video clearly suggested a criminalconspiracy against the Chief Minister, who was shown in the video as beingtargeted with bullets by a gun. Further investigations were underway to unearththe complete conspiracy, he added.
It may be recalled that SFJ had in July issued a threatagainst Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. The threat had claimed that theoutfit will not allow the Himachal Chief Minister to hoist the national flag onthe Independence Day. The Himachal Police had then registered an FIR againstPannu.
Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistani outfit based inUS, was declared as ‘Unlawful Association’ by the Government of India through anotification issued on 10th July 2019, in exercise of powers conferred bySub-sections (1) and (3) of Section 3 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967, after it was found to be indulging in activities prejudicial to internalsecurity of India and the public order and have the potential of disruptingpeace, unity and integrity of the country.
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It had been found involved in anti-national and subversive activities inPunjab and elsewhere under the garb of a peaceful campaign to form a sovereigncountry called Khalistan, out of the territory of Union of India. The bannedoutfit was also found to be in close touch with members of militant outfits andradical organizations/elements involved in fomenting strife in Punjab.