Alertness in Ayodhya intensified after Khalistani terrorist Pannun’s ‘fresh threat’

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is the leader of a US-based group Sikh for Justice (SFJ) that supports the secession of Punjab from India as Khalistan and has issued multiple threats

Alertness in Ayodhya has been intensified after a fresh audio claimed to be of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun surfaced on social media threatening violence in Ram temple on November 16 and 17, confirmed senior police officials on Monday.

a fresh audio claimed to be of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun surfaced on social media threatening violence in Ram temple on November 16 and 17. (HT file)

Pannun is the leader of a US-based group Sikh for Justice (SFJ) that supports the secession of Punjab from India as Khalistan and has issued multiple threats.

Ayodhya range inspector general (IG) of police Praveen Kumar said: “Ayodhya is already fortified and police as well as paramilitary forces deployed here are ready to counter any terror threat round the clock.”

“The police, however, are cross checking the authenticity of Pannun’s viral threat message being circulated on social media,” he added.

Another police official said elaborate security arrangements are made in the ongoing Kartik Parikrama Mela which will end on November 15.

He said earlier also such videos had surfaced in which Khalistani terrorists and other terror organisations had threatened bomb blast and ‘Fidayeen’ attack in Ayodhya but the law enforcement agencies managed to avert them all.

Earlier on January 18, UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) had arrested three suspects having Khalistani links while they were doing a recce in Ayodhya four days before the consecration ceremony of Shri Ram Janambhoomi temple.

He said the three suspects were Rajasthan residents Shankar Dussad alias Shankar Jajod, Ajit Kumar Sharma and Pradeep Puniya.

After their arrests, a recorded voice message claimed to be of Canada-based Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was circulated on mobile numbers addressing chief minister Yogi Adityanath that Sikh for Justice was going to hold him (Yogi) accountable on January 22 and Ram temple consecration was not going to save him.