A security upgrade for RSS, BJP leaders in Punjab is much needed: Here is why

New Delhi, Jan 04: The security of RSS and BJP leaders in Punjab will be upgraded owing to the protests against them over the farm laws.

The Punjab Police are in the process of reviewing the threat perception, following which the security would be upgraded.

While the security upgrade is being considered in the wake of the farmer protests, the RSS and BJP leaders in Punjab have been targeted in the past by extremist elements.

Back in 2017, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) found that there was an international conspiracy to target BJP and RSS leaders in Punjab. This was found when the agency was probing the murder of Ravinder Gosain an RSS leader.

Targets in these incidents generally were members of the RSS and Hindu organisations. Besides, in July, 2017, they also murdered a Christian pastor named Sultan Masih in Ludhiana. It has also come to light that the above mentioned conspiracy to destabilize Punjab has been hatched by Sikh extremist elements and others located in various parts of the world including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan an official told OneIndia.

The NIA arrested Pahar Singh, a 48 year old arms dealer in connection with the murder. He is accused of supplying a country made weapon to the main accused in the case Hardeep Singh. During the course of the investigation, the NIA found that the conspiracy was hatched abroad and there was a systematic pattern to the murder and orders and funds had come from Canada and Italy.

Following the killing of Gosain, the Punjab police had taken into custody Ramandeep Singh and Hardeep Singh. They were then handed over to the NIA. During their examination, these accused persons admitted to their involvement in the previous eight incidents of murder or attempted murder in Punjab which have happened since January, 2016. Targets in these incidents generally were members of the RSS and Hindu organisations.

It has also come to light that the above mentioned conspiracy to destabilise Punjab was been hatched by Sikh extremist elements and others located in various parts of the world including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, the NIA said.

The investigation conducted so revealed channelling of funds from foreign countries for execution of the these incidents. The conspiracy also included an element of ideological brainwashing and incitement of the above accused persons on religious grounds by their mentors settled abroad, the NIA probe found.