The Punjab Police has registered an FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the leader of the banned Sikhs for Justice, for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups based on religion or race.
The case, filed at Amritsar’s Sultanwind police station on January 23, was announced by the police on Wednesday. The charges against Pannu stem from a video posted on social media where he claimed that the Shri Durgiana Mandir in Amritsar held no historical significance in Hinduism. The pro-Khalistan leader purportedly threatened the temple management to close its gates and surrender the keys to the Golden Temple administration. The police initiated the case following Pannun’s social media video.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun faces charges under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race), 153B (making or publishing statements promoting disharmony or hatred between different religious, racial, language, or regional groups), and 505 (making, publishing, or circulating any statement, rumour, or report) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the IT Act, according to the police statement.
This development comes amid threats made by Pannu against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann after the arrest of his aides in Punjab.
