CHANDIGARH: Hardliners are clawing back in Punjab. The latest example is some state-owned PRTC’s about-turn over disallowing photographs of extremists such as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Jagtar Singh Hawara on its buses. Earlier, the PRTC as well as the police had warned against the glorification of extremist leaders.
Bhindranwale was killed during Operation Blue Star in 1984 and Hawara is a convict in the assassination of CM Beant Singh in 1995 and is reportedly lodged in Tihar jail. The PRTC conceded the ground despite the written order of the state Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) after protests from hardline organisations.
In the last few days, the authorities have had to remove ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ slogans written on the walls of several government buildings. The government recently banned YouTube channels such as ‘SYL’ and ‘Rihaee’ Punjabi songs.
Prof Kuldeep Singh of Guru Nank Dev University blamed bus drivers and conductors for pasting objectionable photographs. “The government step neither indicates revival nor rejection of militant ideology,’’ he said. “It is well-known that elements settled abroad are sponsoring such slogans. These people don’t have much acceptance in Punjab,’’ said Prof Singh.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of the banned Sikhs for Justice organization headquartered in New York has supported these incidents.
Hardliner Dal Khalsa as well as SAD (Amritsar) recently held protests in Jalandhar demanding the government by Tuesday withdraw its decision to remove photos of Khalistani leaders in PRTC buses. The PRTC on Monday passed orders that the corporation had taken back its July 1 order to remove the pictures and also conveyed it to the protestors.
Dal Khalsa spokesperson Paramjit Singh Mand said the outfit had received a letter from the PRTC conveying its revised order.
Earlier various Hindu leaders had written to the state police chief complaining about the sudden appearance of photos on PRTC buses in Sangrur, Bhatinda and Moga depots and some private buses in same areas.
On June 28, Additional DGP (Law and Order) had written to all district police chiefs to take cognisance of the issue and warned that such photos should be removed.