Centre alerts state on efforts to revive Khalistan movement

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 2

The Union Government has asked the state to be wary of any effort for the resurgence of the pro-Khalistan movement. The Centre’s warning was reportedly conveyed to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh during his meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.

Intelligence agencies have been on high alert in Punjab after the London declaration by the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for Referendum 2020 was held last month. Over the past few months, the Punjab Police have busted terror modules in the state, linked with organisers of the referendum, under an ISI operation code, named “Express”.

Though officially the state government maintained that they discussed various security-related issues and asked the Home Minister to address the concerns regarding Punjab’s internal security issues, sources say that the Centre expressed “serious concerns” over the efforts by the Pakistan’s ISI to revive the secessionist movement in Punjab.

Capt Amarinder also had discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday over national security concerns of Punjab and “hoped for a positive response from the Union Government”.

The Akali Dal, an alliance partner of the BJP, too, has been raising the issue of radical Sikh leaders staging a dharna at Behbal Kalan, who, it claimed, were receiving funds from abroad. Sources say there have been reports regarding call records of these leaders with radical Sikhs based in Germany, Canada, the US and the UK, which has also set the alarm bells ringing.

The issue of taking back sacrilege probe from the CBI was reportedly not discussed with Rajnath Singh. Officials present in the meeting confirmed that the CM was initiating “a legal procedural way” to get the cases back so that these could be investigated by the Punjab Police, as declared in the Vidhan Sabha, and as such the matter need not be discussed with the Home minister.