Bhatala: Tensions surfaced at Bhatala railway station on Monday morning after pro-Khalistan slogans, including “Khalistan Zindabad,” were discovered on station premises. Messages urging migrant workers to leave Punjab by October 19 were also reportedly found.
The incident follows previous acts by Khalistani activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who had claimed responsibility for writing objectionable words on a Jan Shatabdi train coach. Authorities had earlier intervened at Jalandhar railway station to remove the offensive markings.
Following the latest discovery, Bhatala police, led by DSP City Sanjeev Kumar, immediately reached the site and painted over the slogans. While DSP Kumar did not provide detailed comments on the slogans or the threats targeting migrant workers, Pannu, based in the United States, claimed responsibility in a viral social media video, directly threatening non-locals to leave Punjab by October 19.
Senior Bhatala police officials have refrained from making further statements. An official investigation is underway, including a review of CCTV footage from the railway station to identify the perpetrators.
