Letter threatens blasts in Indore during Rahul Gandhi's ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ Khalsa Stadium halt; 2 held

Bhopal, November 19

Police have detained two persons after an anonymous letter threatened bomb blasts in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh if Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ made a scheduled halt at Khalsa Stadium on November 28.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Saturday said while two suspects have been detained, three others are identified and a team of police has gone to Haryana.

An anonymous letter threatened that bomb blasts would be carried out in Indore if the Yatra made a scheduled night halt at Khalsa Stadium in that city on November 28.

The letter, which referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, also threatened the assassinations of Rahul Gandhi and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath.

 “Two suspects have been detained for interrogation. Three other suspects are also identified and a team of the police has gone to Haryana in this connection,” Mishra told reporters when asked about the threat letter, which was received at a sweets-snacks shop in Juni area of Indore on Thursday evening.

Mishra said it was the state government’s responsibility to provide security to Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the pan-India foot march.

A controversy erupted earlier this month over Nath being felicitated at Khalsa Stadium at a function to mark Guru Nanak Jayanti. Kirtan singer Manpreet Singh Kanpuri had referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, regarding which Nath had faced allegations in the past, and slammed the organisers for the felicitation.

State Congress leaders had said the yatra will tentatively enter Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur on November 20 from Maharashtra.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Friday after the receipt of the letter under Section 507 (criminal intimidation by unknown person) of the Indian Penal Code.

The BJP has already announced that if Nath enters the stadium during the Yatra, it will be shown black flags.