NEW DELHI: The waters in Punjab are being tested by the Khalistani elements once again, and this could be a sign of what is coming next. After provoking and planning attacks in India from abroad, these terror groups want to intensify operations after they realised that their movement is hardly gaining any traction in Punjab.
Soft attempts are being made to test the waters, and on January 26, a Khalistani flag incident was reported at the Golden Temple. An Intelligence Bureau official said that these attempts are aimed at provoking the state. The official, however, added that similar incidents would occur on a much smaller scale across Punjab.
Such operations are cost-effective, and the chances of getting caught are very low. The Khalistanis would try to pass these off as one-off incidents at first. They would then try and analyse what the youth feel about this, and if it does gain a bit of traction, then a recruitment drive would commence, officials say.