India News | HP Cong MLA Gets Threat Call from SFJ Member over I-Day Flag Hoisting; Raises Issue in Assembly

Shimla, Aug 2 (PTI) A Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA on Monday said he got a call from banned pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) member Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, threatening that no one will be allowed to hoist the national flag in the state on Independence Day.

On July 30, a similar threat was made through a recorded phone call to a number of Shimla-based journalists. The caller had identified himself as Pannu, the general counsel for the SFJ, and had said that Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur will not be allowed to hoist the national flag.

Following this, police here on Saturday booked Pannu for sedition and other charges.

Nadaun MLA Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he received the call when he had gone out of the state assembly, which is in session, for a few minutes.

He said that after coming back, he raised a point of order in the House on the threat call from SFJ general counsel Pannu.

The Monsoon Session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on Monday and it will conclude on August 13.

Sukhu stated that he had raised the point of order to bring the threat call issue to the notice of the House.

The former state Congress president also said that the caller, Pannu, has also asked Himachal Pradesh's residents to remain indoors on August 15.

Several people, including, journalists also got threat calls, with the caller identifying himself as Pannun and saying that BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda and Thakur will not be allowed to hoist the tricolour on August 15.

In the recorded phone calls on July 30, the caller had said, "Himachal Pradesh was part of Punjab and we are seeking a referendum in Punjab. Once we liberate Punjab, we will make sure that we take over Himachal Pradesh areas which were part of Punjab."

On Saturday, the FIR against Pannu was registered under Sections 124 (sedition), 153-A (act prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (intimidation) of the IPC, Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and 66-C of the IT Act.

This case was lodged on the basis of recorded audio clips received on mobile phones by many journalists and citizens, a state police spokesperson had said.

He had said the pro-Khalistani outfit SFJ was banned by the Union government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for anti-India activities on July 10, 2019. This pro-Khalistani organisation is based overseas with their network in the USA and other countries, he had said.

The investigation conducted so far has revealed that the audio clips were sent through international numbers (voice over internet protocol), the spokesperson had said. Investigation is underway to identify the caller, he said, adding that police are seeking cooperation from central agencies to bring the accused to justice.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)