The Khalistani reference came up during the hearing after a farmers’ group supporting the controversial laws said that banned organisations had entered the protests.
Ending the impasse over the legislation that led to the farmers’ protests around the Delhi borders, the apex court today took up the matters into its own hand and decided to suspend the implementation of farm laws until further orders. The government, during the hearing, argued that ”Khalistanis” had infiltrated the protests.
As Attorney General KK Venugopal made the claims, the Supreme Court asked him to file an affidavit. Mr Venugopal said he would do so by tomorrow along with inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The Khalistani reference came up during the hearing after a farmers’ group supporting the controversial laws said that banned organisations had entered the protests.
Appearing for a petitioner supporting the farm laws, senior lawyer Harish Salve told the top court, “Those who organised rallies for Khalistan have put up flags at the protests”.
When asked by the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde whether the allegations could be confirmed, Mr Venugopal said: “We have said that Khalistanis have infiltrated into the protests.”
“If there is an infiltration by a banned organization, and somebody is making an allegation here on record, you have to confirm it. You file an affidavit by tomorrow,” CJI Bobde told AG Venugopal.
“Yes. I will file the affidavit and place the IB records,” Mr Venugopal responded.
In the 1980s, the Khalistan movement by Sikh separatists led to insurgency in Punjab. The chaos culminated into the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards, months after the army stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, to flush out armed separatists.
Though the movement by Sikh separatists died down in Punjab, there are still few organisations abroad that support the cause.
In the case of ongoing farmers’ protest, many BJP leaders have already alleged the involvement of Khalistanis in the farmers’ protests, besides what they call the “Tukde tukde gang” (which refers to forces dividing the country) and Maoists.
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