New Delhi: Intelligence agencies have issued an alert after receiving information that secessionist group ‘Sikhs For Justice’ (SFJ) has given a call for a ‘Punjab bandh’ at the end of this month. The pro-Khalistan group was declared an ‘unlawful association’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs in July last year. The SJF in a recent message called for a ‘Punjab Bandh’ August 31 to commemorate the 25th death anniversary of Dilawar Singh. Incidentally Dilwar Singh is the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
Congress leader Beant Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 to 1995. He and 16 others were killed in a car bombing outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh, August 31, 1995. Dilawar Singh, a Punjab Police officer, had acted as a suicide bomber to assassinate the then Punjab CM.
In its bandh call, the SFJ has offered reimbursement of travel expenses for return trip to Amritsar to Sikhs who will attend Ardas at Akal Takht August 31.
A high alert has been issued and Punjab Police has been asked to make foolproof arrangements to avoid any untoward incident in the state. SFJ’s main promoter Gurpatwant Pannun, a New York-based attorney who practices as a lawyer for asylum seekers in the US, has called for the ‘bandh’.
Pannun, in the call, mentioned that Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) appointed Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh in 2012 had declared Beant Singh’s assassin Dilawar Singh as a “Qaumi Shaheed”.
“SFJ is humbled to offer this seva to Sikhs in Punjab who wish to attend Ardas at Akal Takht August 31,” said the call.
Citing an Amnesty International report on the situation in Punjab during 1992-95, Pannun stated that ‘Bhai Shaheed Dilawar Singh indeed put a halt to the genocide of Sikhs under Beant’s rule. We urge people of Punjab to shut down all businesses except essential services such as clinics and pharmacies August 31 in respect of Quami Shaheed Dilawar Singh’.