Dinesh Sharma
New Delhi: One group of Babbar Khalsa International may have sneaked into the country from across the border to target political and religious leaders in the poll bound state of Punjab as per top intelligence sources.
The prime targets in the hit list of these dreaded terrorists are said to be Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and religious Dera leaders like Ashutosh, according to Zee News sources.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is will issue a fresh advisory to the Punjab government to beef up security of the top political and religious leaders during campaigning. The elections are due in the state on 30th January.
Earlier the Centre had decided to step up vigil along Punjab’s border with Pakistan following intelligence inputs that militants from across the border could be planning a terror strike during elections.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had also said recently that there were indications that Pakistan-based militants had even identified some targets. Responding to a question if there was a terror threat during Punjab elections, the Home Minister had stated, “We have taken a decision to increase the level of alertness in states bordering Pakistan and that includes Punjab.”
On December 24, the central agencies had tipped off Delhi Police who had nabbed a two-member BKI module tasked by Pakistan-based BKI chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar. Their targets were three religious leaders — Ram Rahim of Sirsa (Haryana), Pyara Singh of Baniharawale and Ashutosh (Punjab), along with some other leaders from Punjab.
In the past also the BKI has made attempts to kill these three and other political leaders.
First Published: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 20:00