Manikaran Violence & Hosting of Pro Khalistan flag : HC issues notices to CS, Secretary Home ,DM & SP of Kullu & Bilaspur

Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notice to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Home), to the Govt. of H.P., the Director General of Police, Deputy Commissioners Kullu and Bilaspur and Superintendent of Police Kullu and Bilaspur, in a matter pertaining to ruckus created by the tourists at Manali, Manikaran and Bilaspur. A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice, Sabina, and Justice Satyen Vaidya, passed this order Thursday on a writ petition taken up suo moto, as Public Interest Litigation, based on a newspaper item that appeared in some newspapers on 06.03.2023 and 07.03.2023. As per news items published on 06.03.2023, it has been reported that the tourists from Punjab created ruckus at Manali’s Green Tax Barrier, on Sunday afternoon. The tourists got entangled with the workers for not paying green tax and within no time around 100 motorcyclists gathered on road and started shouting and raising slogans and made the atmospheres tense. The tourists were making hue and cry over payment of green tax. On both sides there was long queues of vehicles. It has been also reported that the flag of Khalisthan was also hoisted on a motorcycle and on seeing the police in action the rider dropped the flag. The SDM Manali reached the spot and brought the situation under control with the help of police personnel. On 07.03.2023, another news item appeared in the newspaper reporting therein that the tourists from Punjab also went on rampage at Manikaran. A riot like situation was witnessed at Manikaran on the night of 06.03.2023, as over 100 hooligans/miscreants from Punjab created ruckus and rampaged through. the town carrying flags in their hands. Some miscreants had consumed alcohol, hurled beer bottles towards the Naina Mata temple and on the road. After local residents intervened, the miscreants went on a rampage and vandalized temples, houses and 20 vehicles with iron rods and sticks. The tourists thrashed everyone they saw on the way and created an atmosphere of panic. On being countered by a local boy, they hit him on the head with a beer bottle and also assaulted him with rod. They entered an eatery forcible and misbehaved with those present there. Five persons sustained injuries in the incident and there prevailed an atmosphere of fear and anguish among the residents. The residents have demanded a strict action against the miscreants and to identify and apprehend them. It was also reported that an FIR has been registered by the police against miscreants. Yet another news item published on 07.03.2023, reported that after the incident at Manikaran, devotees from Punjab gathered in hundreds on Monday afternoon and created ruckus at Garamora in Bilaspur district. The bike riders going to and returning from Manikaran gathered at Garamora, Bilaspur, a gateway to Himachal Pradesh, on Chandigarh Manali NH, and kept the highway closed for about one and half hour. This led to the queues of vehicles on both sides of highway. The devotees demanded from the Himachal Pradesh Government that during religious visit to Manikaran, H.P police should not stop. them unnecessarily .Taking suo moto notice of the incidents, the Court has directed State Government to file status report in the matter and the same has been ordered.to be listed on 13.03.2023.