Guwahati: After reports of a pro-Khalistan backed group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) threatening Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his security arrangements have now been beefed up.
As per officials, the security measures of the Assam CM is now being reviewed and all efforts are being made to keep him protected from any sort of threats.
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A source said that the police have been put on high alert with airports and railway stations being constantly monitored.
The source informed that all the superintendents of police in the state have been asked to keep track of all suspected movement and specifically on railway stations or transit locations where people from outside the state may enter through.
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It may be mentioned that earlier on Sunday, a section of the media reported that some journalists received recorded calls from SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threatening the Assam CM of dire consequences.
The US-based separatist Sikh body – Sikh for Justice (SFJ) reportedly sent an audio message to several media outlets in Assam, targeting CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The audio message was sent on behalf of Gurpatwan Singh Pannu of the US-based separatist Sikh body – Sikh for Justice (SFJ).
In the audio message, the pro-Khalistan group alleged that the six aides of Amritpal Singh are being subjected to ‘torture’ at the Dibrugarh jail in Assam.
“Pro-Khalistan supporters imprisoned in Assam have been tortured. CM Sarma this fight is between pro-Khalistan Sikhs and the Indian regime,” the audio message stated.
It also warned Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to “not fall prey to this violence”.
“We seek liberation of Punjab from India… if your (Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma) government torture and harass the six (aides of Amritpal Singh), you will be held accountable,” the message said.
It may be mentioned here that the Punjab police, on March 18, launched a massive crackdown on Amritpal Singh and his organisation “Waris De Punjab”.
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Amritpal Singh has been on the run since then.
The crackdown came after Amritpal’s supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23 demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.
Following the reports, the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) also wrote an open letter to the pro-Khalistan-backed group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) over the recent reports of the group threatening Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The organisation said that they felt the alarm sent to the Chief Minister of Assam by telephone seemed “unfortunate and misunderstood”.
The open letter to the SFJ was issued by the ULFA-I urging them to refrain from issuing “undesired” remarks.
In the letter, the ULFA-I highlighted the generosity and customs of the “Tholgiri” people of Assam, who refrained from any mental or physical harassment of the Sikhs living in Assam and the West-South-East Asia (WeSEA) region in the aftermath of “Operation Bluestar” launched by the occupying forces of the colonial Indian state at the Golden Temple in Amritsar from 1 June to 10 June 1984.
The letter also pointed out that there was no example of a Sikh in Assam or WeSEA being killed or harassed during the “brutal killing of Sikhs in the subsequent period of 31 October 1984 when the late Prime Minister of colonial India, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard”.
The proscribed militant organisation emphasized that even though there was a Congress government in both Assam and Delhi at the time, the political leaders of Assam at the time abstained from making negative comments against the freedom-loving Sikhs, and “today is no exception”.
The letter also noted that there is no room for the brutal torture of the eight members of ‘Khalistan and Waris Punjab De’ who were recently brought from distant Punjab and imprisoned in Dibrugarh jail, and the group has not seen any news that is contrary to the customs of the people of Assam.
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The ULFA-I concluded the letter by urging the leaders of Sikhs for Justice to remember the role of the political leaders and people of Assam in that terrible situation of the past and refrain from issuing such undesired remarks.
They also highlighted that the people of Assam know the “history of the Sikhs, love the revolution and understand the essence of the freedom struggle”.