Two motorcycle-borne attackers shot and killed 32-year-old Naveen Arora, a third-generation RSS volunteer, son of Baldev Raj Arora and grandson of the late senior RSS leader and respected social worker Dina Nath. The incident transpired in Punjab’s Ferozepur on 15th November. Afterwards, pro-Khalistan outfit “Sher-e-Punjab Brigade” claimed responsibility for the murder in a social media post.
The group declared, “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh. We announce the establishment of the Sher-e-Punjab Brigade to contribute to the struggle for the independence of Khalistan. We pledge that, in this dharam-yudh against the forcible occupation of Hindustan over Punjab, we will continue this battle through every possible means until the decisive goal, that is, the creation of Khalistan, is achieved.”
“Keeping this objective foremost, the son of RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora, Naveen Arora, who himself was an RSS member and who, acting as a pawn of the Hindu government, sought to assimilate Sikhs in Punjab into Hindutva, has today been corrected in the Mochi Bazar area of Firozpur,” it further alleged.
The separatist outfit charged, “The entire family of Baldev Raj is linked to the RSS and has been involved for a long time in activities against Punjab and Sikhs. After the Indian Army’s attack on Darbar Sahib in June 1984, this malicious man was part of the Hindu extremist group that celebrated inside Punjab to provoke Sikhs. Today, we have made him reap, while alive, the consequences of his deeds, including rejoicing at the deaths of innocent Sikh children.”
“We make it absolutely clear that anyone living in Punjab who betrays the Sikh community and our land by becoming agents of Delhi will never be spared. Our attacks will continue against RSS, Shiv Sena, police, military and the agents of the Hindu government,” it added. The statement was issued by “spokesperson” Bahadur Singh Sandhu and signed by its self-described “commander,” Paramjit Singh.
The organisation of the local traders protested the killing and closed markets to show support for the victim’s family. According to Sunil Jakhar, the state head of the BJP, the murder once again revealed the “collapse of law and order” under the AAP administration. He asserted that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had “left Punjab directionless” and that “gangsters associated with the ruling party are emboldened.”
Ravneet Singh Bittu, the Union Minister of State, also questioned the government’s responsibility. He asked why there was no accountability for a high-profile murder like this yet top police officers were suspended in other cases. “The chief minister must answer if the police are failing to control crime,” he conveyed.
A murder case has been filed and the body has been submitted for a post-mortem and hunt is on to nab the perpetrators. More technical feedback is being gathered, according to officials, and as the inquiry moves forward, additional details will be provided. Notably, for more than twenty-four hours, authorities were unsure of the name and motivation of the culprits.