A day after Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) threatened Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for torturing Sikhs in the state, United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (Ulfa-I) urged the group to refrain from issuing undesired remarks.

By Saraswat Kashyap: The Paresh Baruah-led United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (Ulfa-I) on Monday wrote to the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), stating that the organisation felt that the fingers pointed at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, seemed to be unfortunate and misunderstood. The Ulfa letter came a day after the SFJ, a pro-Khalistan group, threatened the Assam Chief Minister.

In a voice message received by many journalists in Assam, Gurpatwan Singh Pannu of Sikh for Justice, purportedly issued a threat call to Himanta Biswa Sarma alleging that pro-Khalistani people were being tortured in Dibrugarh jail.

A day after Assam CM got the threat, Ulfa-I urged the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) to refrain from issuing undesired remarks. The Ulfa-I, in a letter, highlighted the generosity and customs of the indigenous people of Assam, who refrained from any mental or physical harassment of the Sikhs living in Assam and the West-South-East Asia (WeSEA) region in the aftermath of the Operation Blue Star in 1984.

The letter clarifies that no Sikh had been killed or harassed in Assam or WeSEA during the killing of Sikhs in the aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984.

Ulfa Chairman Paresh Baruah wrote, “There was no question of torture of the eight people from Punjab, who were recently brought to Assam from Punjab and imprisoned in Dibrugarh jail.” Eight of fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh’s close aides, including his uncle Harjeet Singh, have been lodged at Assam’s high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail.

He also mentioned that the organization has not seen any news that would indicate anything contrary to the customs of the indigenous people of Assam.

Baruah clarifies by saying, “We know the history of the Sikhs, love their revolution, and understand the essence of the freedom struggle”.

The Ulfa-I urged the leaders of SFJ to remember the role of the political leaders and people of Assam in that terrible situation of the past and refrain from issuing such undesired remarks in future.

Many journalists from the media in Assam on Sunday received calls from various mobile phone numbers playing a recorded audio clip. In the audio clip, the caller identified himself as Gurpatwan Singh Pannu and alleged that the pro-Khalistani people who are in Dibrugarh Central Jail of Assam were being tortured.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of the separatist SFJ advised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to “stay out of the fight between pro-Khalistan Sikhs and the Indian government or face dire consequences”.

Assam’s Director-General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Sunday said a threat to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma by a pro-Khalistan group was being taken very seriously.

Assam’s Director General of Police tweeted “A case under appropriate sections of IPC and UAPA was registered at the STF police station.”