Security agencies probe pattern of provocative events in Punjab

Jupinderjit Singh
Chandigarh, April 29

Security agencies in Punjab are probing if there’s a pattern between today’s clash that took place between two groups in Patiala, hoisting of a Khalistani flag in Malerkotla last night and the recent attempt to blow off a wall of Chandigarh’s Burail jail, where several hardliner terrorists are lodged.

Officials of the Punjab Police and intelligence agencies are also looking at the possibility that if the recent pruning of the police security given to several religio-politico leaders could be the motive to disturb law and order situation.

Officials said the security agencies were on alert to not let the situation go out of hand as groups in Pakistan besides Italy, Canada and the US had been instigating people and luring them with money and awards to carry out ‘some kind of action ’in Punjab.

With a new Chief Minister and DGP in the saddle, the sequence of events suggests there could be a pattern to destabilise the state, said sources. A high-level meeting between CM Bhagwant Mann and DGP VK Bhwara besides other officials took place in the evening to take stock of the challenges.

Meanwhile, a counter-intelligence expert said it had been a trend that whenever the security of religio-politico leaders was pruned or withdrawn, some kind of protests take place. “This has to stop,” he stressed.

Another official said it was well-known that stronger efforts were being made by the anti-national elements to use tiffin bombs, recruit youths via social media, activate sleeper cells and the more frequent use of smugglers and gangsters by the terror groups to supply drugs and weapons in the state.