Page 2 - Khalistan Issue

Expect action, not assurances on vandalism incident at Indian missions: MEA

India on Friday said it expects to see action against the perpetrators of vandalism at its missions abroad and hoped the host governments would prosecute those involved in these incidents instead of holding out assurances. Addressing the weekly briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said New Delhi also expects the host governments to take measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents. Indian missions in London, British Columbia, and San Francisco were vandalised recently, allegedly by pro-Khalistan activists following the police action against radical preacher Amritpal Singh in Punjab. "I think we are not just interested in assurances, I think we would like to see action," the External Affairs Ministry spokesman said. Bagchi said India had raised the issue with the authorities in Canada, where the Indian High Commissioner was forced to cancel an event appearance. "It is our expectation that in any country our diplomats can perform their legitimate and norm

Haryana police on alert after Amritpal's last location in Kurukshetra

Haryana Police Friday said it has stepped up vigil across the state and its personnel have been put on alert after radical preacher Amritpal Singh's last location was traced in the Kurukshetra district. However, the whereabouts of Amritpal and his associate Papalpreet Singh remain unknown. They were allegedly harboured by a woman at her home in Kurukshetra district's Shahabad on March 19. A senior Punjab police official on Thursday said, "As soon as we came to know that he has sneaked out of Punjab, we immediately alerted the other states." Haryana's Additional DGP (Law and Order) Mamta Singh Friday said there is no further input about where Amritpal went from Shahabad. "So far, there is no other input. However, we are on alert and keeping a watch," Singh told PTI over the phone. Baljit Kaur, the woman who allegedly harboured Amritpal Singh and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in the Kurukshetra district was nabbed on Thursday. She was being questioned by the Punjab ...

Alert issued in Uttarakhand against Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh

An alert has been issued in Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udhamsinghnagar districts of the Uttarakhand as a precaution in view of the possibility of pro-Khalisthan Amritpal Singh entering the state

Haryana woman who harboured Amritpal, his associate held: Haryana Police

Haryana Police have arrested a woman who allegedly harboured Amritpal Singh and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Kurukshetra district, an indication that the pro-Khalistan preacher might have fled Punjab. In another development, Punjab police arrested a man who was allegedly part of the private security setup of pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh. Tejinder Singh Gill, a resident of Mangewal village in the Khanna area of Ludhiana district, was deputed in the security of Amritpal Singh. Haryana Police said the from Shahabad area. "We have nabbed the woman, Baljit Kaur, who harboured Amritpal and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Shahabad on Sunday. The woman has been handed over to Punjab Police," Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria told PTI over phone. Last month, Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the ...

UK Foreign Secretary says attack on Indian High Commission 'unacceptable'

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly responded to the attack on Indian High Commission and called the attack by the Khalistani elements unacceptable in a statement on Thursday

Security beefed up around Indian Consulate in San Francisco amid protest

The protesters included turbaned men of all ages who chanted pro-Khalistan slogans. They came in from different parts of the Bay area

NSA invoked against Amritpal Singh, HC calls out govt intelligence failure

The stringent National Security Act has been invoked against Amritpal Singh, the Punjab government on Tuesday told the high court which rapped it over the intelligence failure that led to pro-Khalistan preacher giving police the slip. The Punjab and Haryana High Court was hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by advocate Imaan Singh Khara, seeking the release of Amritpal Singh from alleged police custody. Justice N S Shekhawat asked Punjab Advocate General Vinod Ghai how Amritpal Singh gave police the slip when the whole operation was meticulously planned, and called it an intelligence failure, a lawyer said. Police on Saturday had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De.' The elusive preacher himself, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. In his petition, Khara sought the production of Amritpal Singh from alleged police custody. Khara is the legal .

Khalistani extremist attack in UK; Indian diaspora calls solidarity meet

Several Indian diaspora groups have called for a "We Stand By High Commission of India" demonstration outside India House here on Tuesday, as a show of solidarity following vandalism at the premises by Khalistan extremists over the weekend. Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami hosted a diaspora briefing at India House on Monday evening and addressed the concerns of the community leaders following the attack that resulted in broken windows. An attempted pull down by the extremists of the Indian tricolour that flies at the Indian High Commission was intercepted by an official and has been followed up by an additional larger Tiranga on the main facade. "Appreciated their solidarity following the attack on the High Commission on Sunday," the Indian High Commission here tweeted following the diaspora briefing. The Metropolitan Police said its "enquiries continue" and one person arrested on suspicion of violent disorder has since been bailed to appear in court in ...

Indian envoy in Canada cancels event amid protest by Khalistan supporters

An event to be attended by the Indian envoy to Canada in British Columbia province had to be cancelled due to security concerns after a violent protest by Khalistan supporters. The event had been organised on Sunday at the Taj Park Convention Centre Surrey to welcome the high commissioner of India, Sanjay Kumar Verma's first visit to the west coast. The event was ultimately cancelled for security reasons, Global News, the news and current affairs division of the Canadian Global Television Network, reported. High Commissioner Verma was scheduled to attend the event. Indian-origin journalist Sameer Kaushal, who was at the venue to cover the protest, was also assaulted by protesters. Kaushal, a journalist and news director with AM600 Sher E Punjab Radio, said when he arrived at the venue, he found a large protest and said demonstrators would not allow him to access the event. When he identified himself as a journalist and asked the protesters if he could interview their organisers a

Punjab not afraid of taking measures to curb criminal activities: Kejriwal

AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the Punjab government was not afraid of taking stringent measures to curb criminal activities in the state. His comments came after Punjab Police launched a major crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De'. When we came to power in Punjab, people said they (AAP) can work in the fields of education, health and power, but handling law and order situation will be tough. The system we inherited from previous governments showed that criminals and gangsters were provided political protection. But our government is an honest one. We are taking strict action against such elements," Kejriwal said. He said the strict action against criminals taken by the Punjab government has shown that the AAP is a hardcore patriotic party. "I thank people for their support," Kejriwal said and congratulated his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann for the crackdown. Police in Punjab

Committed to security of diplomatic facilities, says US condemning attack

The US has condemned as "absolutely unacceptable" the attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco by some pro-Khalistan elements during a protest, and said it is committed to the safety and security of diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work within them. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters on Sunday broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistan flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. Soon thereafter, a group of angry protesters entered the Consulate premises and started hitting the door and windows with iron rods. "That vandalism, it's just absolutely unacceptable," John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for strategic communications at the White House, told reporters on Monday at a daily news conference, strongly condemning the incident. "The State Department's diplomatic security service is working with local authorities. I can't speak for t

Internet services to resume except in some districts, says Punjab govt

The Punjab government on Tuesday extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services in Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Moga, Sangrur and Amritsar's Ajnala sub-division and a few areas in Mohali till Thursday noon. The curbs will be lifted from the rest of the state from Tuesday noon, the department of home affairs and justice said in an order. " it is directed that all mobile internet services (2G/3G/45/5G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except the voice calls, in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab shall continue to remain suspended from March 21 (12.00 hours) to March 23 (12.00 hours) only in the districts Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Moga, Sangrur, sub-division Ajnala in Amritsar, areas adjoining YPS chowk and airport road, both in SAS Nagar in continuation of this office order no 1781 dated March 20 in the interest of public safety, to prevent any incitement to violence and to prevent any ...

Vandalism at Indian Consulate absolutely unacceptable, says White House

"State Department's diplomatic security service is working with local authorities to properly investigate. State department will work on infrastructure perspective to repair the damage"

Amritpal maintains close links with ISI, drug dealers who gifted him SUV

Pro-Khalistan supporter and radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who is on the run following a massive crackdown on his outfit 'Waris Punjab De', has allegedly been maintaining close links with drug peddlers and Pakistan's ISI to further his goal for a separate country for the Sikhs, officials said. While drug lords were allegedly helping the pro-Khalistan preacher financially, including gifting him a high-end Mercedes SUV, the ISI was helping him with arms, ammunition and other logistics, they said. At the time when police was chasing Singh, he was travelling in a Mercedes SUV, allegedly gifted by Ravel Singh, who is accused of peddling drugs, they said. This is the same SUV from whose sunroof he used to wave people and his supporters. On Saturday, when police was trying to apprehend the radical preacher, he had abandoned the SUV to evade the police and rode a bike and fled the scene. The SUV has since been seized by the Punjab Police. Singh tried to project himself as a social reform

Amritpal Singh case: Alert sounded in Himachal, security along state border

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the state was on high alert and security has been beefed up along the border with Punjab in view of the crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh. Strict vigil is being maintained along the border with Punjab, he told media persons here. Directions have been issued to ensure tourists coming from outside the state do not face any inconvenience and no unwanted element is allowed entry, the chief minister added. "There is nothing to worry and we are ready to deal with any circumstance," he said. Referring to recent clashes between local people and tourists from Punjab that led to a tense atmosphere in the state, the chief minister said there are some anti-social people trying to spoil the environment but "we all are citizens of this country and people of Punjab and Himachal are like brothers". "I will speak to the chief minister of Punjab if the need arises," Sukhu added. The Punjab Police on Saturday laun

Hunt on for Amritpal Singh, his uncle and driver surrender in Jalandhar

Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh's uncle and driver have surrendered before the Jalandhar police, even as the Punjab government extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services till Tuesday noon, officials said. The hunt for the radical preacher entered the third day on Monday as the state police tightened the security blanket to nab him at the earliest. According to police, Amritpal's uncle Harjit Singh and driver Harpreet Singh surrendered near Bullandpur gurdwara in Mehatpur area in Jalandhar late Sunday night. At the time of surrender, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border range) Narinder Bhargav and other police officials were also present there. In a video shot during the surrender, Harjit could be seen showing his licensed 32 bore pistol and cash worth Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh which he was carrying in the Mercedes car, which was later seized by police. Both Harjit and Harpreet were taken away by the Amritsar Rural police, officials said. Harjit helped

Amid Amritpal's arrest, Punjab govt suspends internet services till Tues

The Punjab government extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services till Tuesday noon even as the hunt for the Khalistan sympathizer Amritpal Singh continued for the third day. The state authorities had on Saturday suspended the internet and SMS services in the state till Sunday noon. Later, the curbs were extended till Monday noon. According to the latest order of the Home Affairs department and Justice on Monday, .it is directed that all mobile internet services (2G/3G/45/5G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except the voice calls, in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab shall be further suspended from March 20 (12.00 hours) to March 21 (12.00 hours) in the interest of public safety, to prevent any incitement to violence and to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order. The broadband services are not being suspended so that banking facilities, hospital services and othe

UK to take security seriously after vandalism by pro-Khalistani protesters

The UK government will take the security of the Indian High Commission here "seriously", top British officials have said as they condemned as "disgraceful" and "completely unacceptable" the vandalism at the mission by a group of protesters waving separatist Khalistani flags. The tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission was grabbed at by the protesters chanting pro-Khalistani slogans on Sunday, leading to an arrest related to the violent disorder. Officials from the mission said the "attempted but failed" attack had been foiled and that the tricolour was now flying "grander". The Metropolitan Police said two members of security staff sustained minor injuries which did not require hospital treatment. An investigation has been launched. Responding to the incident, London's mayor Sadiq Khan said he condemned "the violent disorder and vandalism that took place". "There is no place in our city for this kind of behaviour," he tweeted. The British High Commissioner to India Alex

Man arrested after Khalistani groups vandalised Indian High Commission

A man has been arrested after some pro-Khalistani groups vandalised the Indian High Commission in London and detached the Indian flag from the first-floor balcony of the building

Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh's uncle, driver surrender: Police

Radical preacher Amritpal Singh's uncle and driver have surrendered before the police in Jalandhar while the Khalistan sympathiser was still on the run, police said on Monday. Amritpal's uncle Harjit Singh and driver Harpreet Singh surrendered near a gurdwara in the Mehatpur area in Jalandhar late Sunday night, Jalandhar Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) Swarandeep Singh said. The hunt for Amritpal, however, is still on, the SSP said. The state police has so far arrested 112 supporters of Amritpal. on Sunday, it conducted flag marches and searches across the state in their manhunt for Amritpal. The day before, the Punjab government launched a major crackdown against Amritpal and his Waris Punjab De, with the police arresting 78 members of the outfit on that day. The preacher, however, escaped their dragnet somehow after his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district.