'BJP may use Khalistan bogey to win Lok Sabha polls': Shiv Sena levels stunning charge

In a stunning charge on Thursday, Shiv Sena claimed that BJP might use the recent Khalistan provocations to win the Lok Sabha polls scheduled in 2024. Penning an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana, Executive Editor Sanjay Raut was referring to incidents such as the raising of Khalistan flags in Dharamshala and the RPG attack on the Punjab Police's Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali. According to Raut, the categorization of Sikhs as Khalistanis by some BJP leaders during the farmer's stir proved to be counterproductive.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut stated, "The farmers' agitation took place. The Sikh farmers from Punjab were at its forefront. BJP leaders made statements describing these Sikhs as Khalistanis. PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should have reigned in people spouting such nonsense. The leaders didn't realise that there was a spark in the Sikh community at a juncture when Sikhs were called Khalistanis to malign the farmers' agitation. When will our leaders stop calling Sikhs Khalistanis and equating Muslims with Dawood?" 

"The ghost of Khalistan has resurrected in their (BJP leaders') eyes. If someone is using this for political gain, then it is treason. There is an apprehension that these people want to win the Lok Sabha polls by raking up the Khalistan bogey just because they couldn't win the Punjab Assembly polls," he alleged. 

Taking a veiled swipe at the arrest of Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case linked to Dawood Ibrahim and his associates, Raut added, "Currently, the politics is reduced to where is Dawood and where is Khalistan. The key issues are being forgotten because of this. If the entire country is in the clutches of Khalistan and Dawood, then it is the failure of the Union government. Until people come to their senses, they will keep believing that this failure is nationalism."

Khalistan provocation

In a big provocation, Khalistan flags were seen tied to the gate of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in Dharamshala on the morning of May 8. Moreover, 'Khalistan' was inscribed in green on the outermost wall of the Assembly. Subsequently, the police registered an FIR against Sikhs for Justice founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and others under Section 153A, 153B, Section 3 of the HP Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. A day later, an RPG was fired on the Punjab Police's Intelligence Headquarters due to which window panes were shattered.

In the FIR lodged by the Sohana Police Station, unknown persons were booked under Section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 16 (Punishment for a terrorist act) of UAPA and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act. They had reportedly done a recce of the area to verify the possible exit routes and chose the time when the security shift changes to launch the attack. While the Punjab Police is yet to officially ascertain the main culprits in the case, the attack is being linked to Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda.