Chandigarh: Several schools of Punjab’s Patiala district on Saturday received an email allegedly from banned pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) asking them to suspend their participation in the January 26 Republic Day celebrations.
Pertinently, chief minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled to unfurl the Tricolour at Patiala on January 26. He was scheduled to hoist the national flag at Faridkot but that venue was changed to Patiala after pro-Khalistan slogans appeared near the Faridkot venue two days ago. Notably, according to media reports, new pro-Khalistan graffiti appeared in Faridkot on Saturday.
The email to Patiala schools, allegedly sent by the SFJ, which was also received by several of the journalists in Patiala, read: “R-Day Patiala: SFJ faceoff with Bhagwant Mann’’. “Children stay home – stay safe… Parents, this is a stern advice: Do not send your children to Republic Day celebrations at Polo Ground with Bhagwant Mann’’. “SFJ will be present in Patiala on January 26’’.
Meanwhile, reacting to the said development, state police held it has made elaborate security arrangements for the said function and that it is verifying the threat mail as it is yet not clear how many people have received it.
While the latest pro-graffiti appeared near the main entrance of the Faridkot town in the wee hours of Saturday, on January 23, pro-Khalistan slogans were seen to have been written on the walls near Nehru Stadium in Faridkot – the venue for R Day function where Mann was scheduled to hoist the national flag.
Meanwhile, the police, which has sounded the “red alert” in the state ahead of Republic Day celebrations, held that over 15,000 cops have been deployed across Punjab in the wake of threat perception for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. The police has, however, also held that the venue of the chief minister’s function was changed from Faridkot to Patiala due to administrative reasons.
