The city police seized 200 pro-Khalistan T-shirts from a manufacturing unit located in the Salem Tabri area here last evening. The incident has alerted the state police which had been expecting trouble from pro-Khalistan activists ahead of the assembly elections in the state.
Senior police officials have said the intelligence wing has received inputs about pro-Khalistan activists getting active.
The matter further snowballed into a controversy today when the police booked Manwinder Singh Gyaspura, the whistleblower who brought to fore Hondh-Chillar massacre that took place in Haryana, for inciting religious sentiments.
Talking to The Tribune on the phone, Manwinder claimed that he had been implicated in the case. “The police has registered a false case against me. These T- shirts belong to one Dilbag Singh of Amritsar. I have nothing to do with these,” he said, adding that a local leader, Baljeet Jassian, had been blackmailing him for the past few days.
“Last night, Baljeet and his cronies along with a police officer raided the places where these T- shirts were being manufactured and seized the material. I came to know about the incident after I was booked for instigating religious sentiments,” said Manwinder.
Police sources said they were investigating the matter as the government had issued specific instruction to show “zero tolerance” towards any activity that vitiated the peaceful atmosphere in the state. The government has been cautioned by Central intelligence agencies about attempts by Khalistani ideologues to push in weapons to be used during the elections.
The seizure of the T-shits has sent the police department in a tizzy. DCP Ashish Chaudhry said necessary action had been taken and law would take its course. The T-shirts, bearing Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s picture with “Pakke Khalistani” written on these, were being manufactured in a factory unit.
Baljeet Jassian has alleged that nearly 10,000 pro-Khalistan T-shirts had been sold by Manwinder. “I suspect a political conspiracy behind the issue. The motive is to upset peace in the state,” said Jassian, who lodged a complaint against the manufacturing of these T- shirts.
New Source: Tribune
