Ruckus in HP over Sikhs Flags; Panjab Police Beats up Army Officer

On 15 March, locals in Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh (HP) caused sword wounds to a young man from Panjab after he refused to remove a ‘Khalistan’ flag from his motorbike. It must be noted that there is no flag of Khalistan. However, the yellow, triangular flag with or without lettering is associated with Sikhs. In another incident at Kasol, a group of twenty tourists from Panjab created chaos at the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) barrier in Kasol. The tourists refused to pay the nominal maintenance fee, broke the barrier and proceeded to Manikaran. In yet another incident, a scuffle broke out between bikers from Panjab and the owner of a village resort in Manikaran. Akal Takht (eternal throne, AT) acting Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj has condemned the violent clash between Sikh and Panjabi youth with locals in HP. He alleged some miscreants tore down Sikh flags and pictures of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale (1947-84, prominent Sikh leader) in the presence of the police. He issued an advisory to Sikh youth to ensure their vehicle documents were in order and refrain from travelling alone. On 18 Mar, Dal Khalsa (a Sikh group) activists stopped Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses coming from HP and other vehicles having the registration plate from the hill state and pasted Bhindranwale’s photo on them. The issue has reached the HP Assembly where former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's Jairam Thakur said the atmosphere in the state was being spoiled due to people coming from other states. Meanwhile, in Patiala, on the night of 13-14 Mar, Panjab police officers assaulted a senior Army officer Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, and his son, Angad Singh, over a car parking issue. Following the family's repeated complaints and furore in the defence fraternity, Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police apologized and suspended twelve police officials.