Guwahati: Keeping aside political differences, the Assam Congress has expressed concern over the threat issued to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma by a pro-Khalistan outfit, reportedly based in the United States, on Sunday.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Kumar Borah took to Twitter and urged the state police administration to take measures to upgrade the chief minister’s security in view of the threat.
“I have read about terrorist threats to the CM. Certain things are above partisan differences and the well-being of our elected leaders are one. I urge Assam Police, specifically the DGP, Assam Police to upgrade the security of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. We, APCC, always stand against terrorists,” Borah stated.
Notably, the Assam Police on Sunday stepped up security arrangements in the wake of the threat issued to the chief minister through an audio clip by the overseas outfit, Sikhs for Justice.
According to reports, a section of journalists in the state on Sunday claimed to have received a recorded voice call from an individual who issued a warning to the Assam chief minister against the alleged “torture” of pro-Khalistani supporters, who are currently lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Upper Assam.
Assam director-general of police, G.P Singh, in a message on Twitter stated, “Reference to the audio clip threatening honourable chief minister, Assam by a person called Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a designated individual terrorist under Indian law and heading an unlawful association called Sikhs for Justice, a case under appropriate sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been registered at STF (Special Task Force) police station of Assam.”
The DGP further informed that the security component of the chief minister has been adequately sensitised in the wake of the emerging threat and that in view of global events, the threat has been taken very seriously by Assam Police.
“The central agencies have been kept in the loop on the issue,” the DGP said.
The voice message (audio clip) received by some journalists here said: “Pro-Khalistani supporters imprisoned in Assam have been tortured. Listen very carefully CM Sarma, the fight is between Pro-Khalistan Sikhs and the Indian regime and Modi. Sarma do not fall prey to this violence. We are seeking liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation through a peaceful democratic process of the Khalistan referendum. Sarma, if your government is going to torture and harass the Sikhs, you will be held accountable. The message is from Gurpatwan Singh Pannu, General Counsel of Sikhs for Justice.”
The caller, reportedly based in the US, identified himself as being a supporter of pro-Khalistan leader and Waris Punjab De chief, Amritpal Singh.
As many as eight persons, who have close links with Amritpal, currently absconding amidst a manhunt launched by Punjab Police, were brought to the high-security jail in Upper Assam last month.
Meanwhile, militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has termed the threat to the Assam chief minister by the pro-Khalistan outfit as “unfortunate and misunderstood”.
According to reports, ULFA-I chief Paresh Baruah has written an open letter to the outfit, Sikhs for Justice, saying, “ULFA-I would like to address the leadership of the pro-independence Khalistan-backed Sikhs for Justice that the alarm you have sent to the chief minister of Assam by telephone seems unfortunate and misunderstood, we feel it.”
“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 we have not seen any news that is contrary to the customs of the Tholgiri (indigenous) people of Assam,” the letter read.
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“We believe that the situation in Assam will remain similar to the environment of 1984. Therefore, the Tholgiri people of Assam know the history of the Sikhs, love the revolution and understand the essence of the freedom struggle,” it read.
ULFA-I further urged the outfit’s leadership “to refrain from issuing such undesired remarks and remember the role of the political leaders and the people of Assam in that terrible situation of the past.”
Also read | Security of Assam CM tightened after threat call