A Sikh man in Kaithal has alleged that he was thrashed and called a "Khalistani" by two motorcycle-borne youths when he was heading home on his scooter, the police said on Tuesday.
The matter is being investigated, they said and added that so far, there is no evidence that the "Khalistani" slur was used.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal condemned the incident, calling for immediate action against the culprits.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that the attack was "the result of hate speech against Punjabis by @KanganaTeam and many other @BJP4India backed IT cell platforms".
The police said the man alleged that he was attacked on Monday night while he was waiting at a railway level-crossing Kaithal for a train to pass.
There was an argument between the man and the two youths when vehicles started moving after the crossing's gates were opened, they said and added that the matter escalated and a fight broke out between them.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, the man, who was hospitalised, said, "They abused me and called me a Khalistani. One person got down from the motorcycle and hit me with bricks."
He said some people intervened and saved him from the two youths who fled from the spot. The man claimed that he did not know who the youths were. "I was not able to see the registration plate of the motorcycle properly," the man said.
The police, which reached the hospital where he was admitted after receiving information about the incident, have registered a case of assault against two unknown people.
Kaithal police station Civil Lines Inspector Sheelavati said the case was registered on a complaint from the Sikh man.
The inspector also said the medical report of the complainant revealed that he had consumed alcohol. "Doctors have confirmed this in their report," she said.
The police said according to preliminary investigation, the two youths told the man he was drunk after which the argument broke out between them.
So far, there is no evidence that the word "Khalistani" was used, she said.
SGPC president H S Dhami has demanded that the police should immediately arrest the culprits
"This incident has hurt the sentiments of the entire Sikh community. So, the Haryana government should take it seriously and ensure the safety of Sikhs living in the state," Dhami said in a post on X in Punjabi.
The president of the apex religious body of the Sikhs said that "for some time now, it has been seen that an atmosphere of hatred is being continuously created against Sikhs in the country and Sikhs are being targeted for no reason in different states".
It is the responsibility of the government to protect the religious freedom and rights of people of every class, every religion and every community in the country, he said.
Strict action must be taken against those who go against the Constitution of the country and "create a hateful and communal atmosphere", Dhami said.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to take exemplary action against the culprits.
"I and my party strongly condemn the dastardly attack on a peaceful Sikh youth in Kaithal by dubbing him as a separatist. This is the direct consequence of the politics of hate and communal polarisation that has come to afflict the country over the past decade," he said on X.
"...This is a calculated attempt to humiliate the most patriotic community of the Sikhs. This will deepen the sense of Sikh hurt and alienation," he said.
"The same politics of communal polarisation threatens to engulf Punjab, threatening peace and communal harmony here," Dhami claimed.
Punjab Congress chief Warring said strictest action must be taken in the matter.
"This attack on a Sikh youth in Kaithal Haryana is the result of hate speech against Punjabis by @KanganaTeam and many other @BJP4India backed IT cell platforms. Strictest actions must be taken, more importantly within the BJP to ensure this doesn't spread like wildfire and doesn't harm the communal harmony of our country," he posted on X.
Recently, a CISF woman constable was suspended after she allegedly slapped BJP MP Kangana Ranaut during security check at the Chandigarh airport. The constable appeared to be upset with Ranaut over her stance on the farmers' protest.
In a video statement titled "Shocking rise in terror and violence in Punjab" posted on X after she landed in Delhi after the incident on June 6, Ranaut said she was safe and fine.
SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher had lashed out at the MP for stating that terrorism was increasing in Punjab.
