In a shocking development, flags belonging to Punjab’s separatist movement for Khalistan were put up at the main entrance of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. An enraged chief minister later took to social media to dare the culprits to repeat the act in broad daylight as opposed to carrying out the act in the darkness of night.
Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said, “I condemn the cowardly act of putting up Khalistan flags at the gate of Dharamshala Assembly Complex. Only the Winter Session is held in this Assembly, so there’s a need for more elaborate security arrangements here during that time.”
Thakur said that the development will be investigated and strict action taken against those responsible for the act. He also dared those putting up the flags in the ‘darkness of the night’ to repeat the act in broad daylight. “I want to tell them that if they have courage, then they should come forward in the broad daylight and in the darkness of the night.”
इसी का फायदा उठाकर यह कायरतापूर्ण घटना को अंजाम दिया गया है, लेकिन हम इसे बर्दाश्त नहीं करेंगे।
इस घटना की त्वरित जांच की जाएगी और दोषियों के खिलाफ कड़ी कार्रवाई होगी।
मैं उन लोगों को कहना चाहूंगा कि यदि हिम्मत है तो रात के अंधेरे में नहीं, दिन के उजाले में सामने आएं।
— Jairam Thakur (@jairamthakurbjp) May 8, 2022
SDM Shilpi Beakta was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, “We are inquiring about the matter and a case will be registered under relevant sections of the Himachal Pradesh Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985. This is like a wake-up call for us to work with more alertness.”
#WATCH Khalistan flags found tied on the main gate & boundary wall of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Dharamshala today morning pic.twitter.com/zzYk5xKmVg
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2022
In the video shared by ANI, several Khalistani flags could be seen installed both at the entrance of the assembly and its surrounding wall.
SP Kangra, Khushal Sharma said that it ‘might have happened late night or early morning today.’ “We have removed the Khalistan flags from the Vidhan Sabha gate. It could be an act of some tourists from Punjab. We are going to register a case today,” Sharma was quoted as saying.
Not too long ago, pro-Khalistan slogans were chanted in Punjab after a group of Sikhs clashed with Hindus in Patiala.