As unrest continued across the state of Punjab over the alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib, reports suggest that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) could be involved in the incident.
The Centre had earlier asked for a report from Punjab on the 'foreign hand' theory, which came to light after the Punjab police arrested two brothers, suspecting their involvement in the desecration on Tuesday and later learnt that they were getting instructions and funding from handlers in Australia and Dubai.
A report in the Times of India adds that this information only confirms the investigation agencies' long-held suspicion that ISI is working with pro-Khalistan elements in the Sikh diaspora to revive militancy in Punjab.
However, this incident was not without warning. NDTV accessed a letter sent by a senior Punjab police officer on October 1 to all district officers,which talked about an attempt by the ISI to send a group of terrorists trained in Sikh manners and customs to create trouble in the state.
The letter also reportedly said that a group of 15-20 militants from Pakistan had undergone arms training under Hafiz Sayeed, the 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind, and had been trained in "Sikh traditions and Gurmukhi script at Pakistan's Gurudwara Sahib for about two months".
Many leaders from the state have met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, after paramilitary forces were deployed, and the centre has assured them of "all possible help" to handle the situation.