Himachal suspends night parking of buses in Punjab amid series of attacks

On Saturday, the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh announced that state-operated buses will not stay overnight in Punjab until the AAP government ensures their safety and that of the passengers, due to recent incidents of attacks on Himachal buses and the writing of pro-Khalistani slogans on them.

On Friday evening, the windshields of four Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses were shattered by unknown people at the Amritsar stand, with pro-Khalistan slogans painted on several more. Comparable events have been noted in previous instances too. HRTC buses operate on 600 routes throughout Punjab.

“We think that until the Punjab government assures us of their safety, the buses will not be parked at night in Punjab. Buses would be brought back to Himachal borders and even some routes could be suspended,” Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri was quoted as saying .

“The HRTC is not a party to any dispute and targeting our buses is not right, this is state’s property but still such incidents are happening and we are in continuous touch with the Punjab government. The DGP has spoken to his Punjab counterpart in this regard,” he added.

“Some anti-social elements are doing mischief by damaging the property of the state and this will not be tolerated. FIRs are being registered (in Punjab) and arrests are being made. Safety of staff and passengers is our priority,” Agnihotri, who also holds the transport portfolio, stressed.

HRTC Divisional Manager Raj Kumar Pathak mentioned that the buses vandalized were planned to head to Bilaspur, Dehra, and Una, and pro-Khalistan slogans were written on a bus heading to Hamirpur. He mentioned that the department is coordinating with the HRTC bus personnel and has notified senior officials regarding the incidents.

The HRTC halted 10 routes in Punjab last week due to assaults on government buses. The choice was made following the shattering of a Chandigarh-Hamirpur bus windshield by unknown assailants near Kharar in Punjab the day before. Thankfully, there were no injuries among the passengers in the event.

On Monday, a bus traveling from Jalandhar to Manali was attacked with stones by certain troublemakers who also affixed posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on it. An FIR was filed in Sirhind concerning the incident. In a different instance, the bus driver and conductor were threatened when they opposed similar efforts.

In his speech to the state assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri remarked that the issue started following a confrontation between several young individuals from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh at the Manikaran Barrier in Kullu district a few days prior. The conflict arose when the Special Area Development Authority set a fee of Rs 50 for two-wheelers and Rs 100 for four-wheelers, which was contested by Punjab youth who claimed that such fees are not charged on two-wheelers in any other part of the country, he stated.