Activist removes plaque written in English, Mitra orders filing of FIR

In the last 10 years, Khalsa had begun the “Kala Pocha” or signboard defacement movement in Punjab for the promotion of the regional language. The Chandigarh Police had registered around 20 cases against Khalsa for defacing signboards at different places.

A senior officer of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation said, “He has damaged the steel plaque too. It’s a government property. He hasn’t just removed it. We will be lodging a police complaint against him. He cannot remove this plaque like this.”

It was in January last year when the plaque was installed at an event in the presence of the then MP Kirron Kher and the then mayor Sarabjit Kaur.

After removing the plaque, Khalsa said, “Why isn’t Punjabi being used at all? We will not tolerate this as Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab, and officers are not using Punjabi at all. I shall continue to protest like this.”

Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra told The Indian Express, “I have ordered registration of FIR for destruction of government property.”