NIA notices: It’s political terrorism, says Sukhpal Singh Khaira

Jalandhar, January 17

Bholath MLA and former Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira alleged the BJP-led central government was unleashing a reign of terror on social activists and farmer leaders by serving them NIA notices.

Khaira said the recent series of NIA notices sent to many frontline activists was a well-planned conspiracy by the BJP government, to terrorise, intimidate and gag the voice of all those who are supporting and participating in the farmers’ agitation. He said this amounted to unleashing political terrorism on all those agitating peacefully.

The MLA said the government had tried all tactics to derail and torpedo the farmers' agitation by calling them Khalistanis, terrorists, Naxals, etc., and accusing them of being funded from countries like China and Pakistan. He said when all theatrics of the Centre failed to dampen the spirit of farmers, it was now hitting below the belt and misusing NIA to summon people in fabricated FIRs registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Khaira particularly mentioned the names of youth icon Deep Sidhu, Baldev Singh Sirsa, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who have been part of the farmers’ agitation since the beginning. He said the Centre was now resorting to intimidation to ensure people do not support the farmers’ agitation. Khaira claimed almost more than two dozen such activists and farm leaders had been targeted by NIA through bogus notices. — TNS

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