Khalistan flag tied on Himachal assembly gate; CM Jairam Thakur orders investigation

The law enforcement agency has suspected involvement of tourists from neighbouring Punjab.

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh assembly building in Dharamshala witnessed draping of Khalistan flag over the main gate and graffiti supporting Khalistan movement on the boundary wall on Sunday morning. The local police were informed about the incident following which flags and slogans were fixed on the walls.  The police removed flags from the gate of the state assembly.

The law enforcement agency has suspected involvement of tourists from neighbouring Punjab. “It could be an act of some tourists from Punjab. A case is going to be registered in this connection,” said a senior police official.

Considering the seriousness of the matter, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur ordered for a probe. He said that the culprits took advantage of the police deployment inside the Assembly campus. He said to review security along bordering states- Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Punjab.

The Himachal CM tweeted, “I condemn the cowardly incident of raising Khalistan flags at the gate of Dharamshala Assembly Complex in the dark of night. There is only winter session in this assembly, so there is a need for more security arrangements here during that time.”

He further tweeted, “Taking advantage of this, this cowardly incident has been carried out, but we will not tolerate it. This incident will be investigated quickly and strict action will be taken against the culprits. I would like to tell those people that if you have the courage, then come out in the light of day, not in the dark of night.”

It may be noted that the hill state has banned vehicles carrying Bhindranwale and Khalistan flags, which agitated the SFJ.