In the urban expanse of New Delhi, symbols advocating for the Khalistani cause and expressions of dissent aimed at India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi materialized upon certain columns of the Karol Bagh and Jhandewalan Metro stations, as disclosed by law enforcement on Sunday. A high-ranking police official revealed that the pertinent authorities were promptly notified to expunge the said symbols and declarations, resulting in the initiation of an official complaint in this matter.
“The matter is under thorough investigation by dedicated police units. Vigilant scrutiny of surveillance footage from the vicinity and metro installations is underway to ascertain the identities of the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” the official stated.
It is purported that the incendiary phrases were inscribed by adherents of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an outlawed Sikh separatist faction headquartered in the United States. An official report has been formally lodged by the Delhi police, and visual records from the aforementioned metro stations have been procured from the Delhi Metro authorities.
A sentry stationed at a nearby edifice adjacent to the Karol Bagh Metro station attested to observing the markings in ebony pigment upon the station’s columns upon commencing duty on Sunday morning. “Upon my arrival at 8 a.m., I discerned inscriptions in black hue adorning the metro station’s pillars. A considerable throng had congregated, perusing the slogans,” recounted Bajrangi, the vigilant security personnel, in dialogue with ANI.
“It is conceivable that these utterances were etched during nocturnal hours, as the absence of eyewitnesses and surveillance attests to no observers during that period,” he appended. A comparable incident unfolded in January of this year, wherein the Delhi Police apprehended an individual for purportedly defacing walls in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar region with pro-Khalistani graffiti.
In August of the previous year, the Delhi Police Special Cell detained two individuals hailing from Punjab in connection with pro-Khalistani graffiti and slogans emblazoned across more than five metro stations in Delhi. The provisions of Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) render illegal and punishable any declarations, speeches, or actions that disrupt public harmony or law and order by fostering animosity or instilling fear or unease among societal groups based on disparities in religion, caste, dialect, or birthplace.
In contrast, Section 505 of the IPC criminalizes the dissemination of declarations, accounts, or rumors that impel members of the armed forces or law enforcement to shirk their duties, incite individuals to perpetrate offenses against the state or disrupt public harmony, or provoke disturbances to public tranquility.
During the previous year, amidst the National Investigation Agency’s widespread crackdown on proponents and sympathizers of the Khalistani movement nationwide, similar pro-Khalistani graffiti was discovered adorning a viaduct in the Kashmere Gate precinct of north Delhi. The Delhi Police registered a formal complaint in response to this occurrence.
The emergence of a video footage showcasing the graffiti on the viaduct served as a catalyst for law enforcement action. Subsequent to identifying the signage boards visible in the footage, an extensive combing operation was launched within the environs of the North District.