KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 03-Aug-2025
Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on August 3 recovered 755 grams of heroin from a plastic container near Noorwala village in Tarn Taran district.
India 04-Aug-2025
Police on August 4 arrested Nav Pandori, a close associate of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and seized a pistol from his possession in Amritsar, Amritsar district. His arrest follows the earlier detention of two individuals, Gora and Joban, who were caught with a major consignment of weapons smuggled from Pakistan. The seizure included one AK-308 Saiga assault rifle with two magazines, two Glock 9 mm pistols with four magazines, 90 live cartridges for the AK rifle, 10 live 9 mm cartridges, INR 7.5 lakh in drug money, an i20 car, and three mobile phones. According to police, Pandori was the intended recipient of the consignment and had gone into hiding following its recovery.
India 04-Aug-2025
On August 4, a large crowd of demonstrators led by the Quami Insaaf Morcha marched through Patiala, demanding the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences and calling for stricter laws against the desecration of religious scriptures. The protesters raised slogans against the Punjab and Union governments, burnt effigies of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann, and accused them of neglecting key religious and human rights issues.
India 04-Aug-2025
On August 4, the Akal Takht summoned Punjab Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains to appear before the five Singh Sahiban (high priests) on August 6 for allegedly hurting Sikh sentiments by organising “entertainment performances” at a government event in Srinagar commemorating the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The meeting, to be held at the Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat in Amritsar under the leadership of officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, will deliberate on various Panthic and religious matters. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had earlier condemned the performances as an affront to Sikh values, prompting Bains to express regret and offer to accept full moral responsibility.
India 04-Aug-2025
Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on August 4 launched the second phase of the Punjab government’s anti-drug campaign, “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh 2.0”, in Ludhiana. The initiative aims to mobilise public participation in the fight against drug trafficking. As part of the campaign, Defence Committees comprising 10 to 20 members will be established in villages and urban wards to monitor and report drug-related activities in coordination with the police.
India 04-Aug-2025
Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on August 4 claimed that the drug problem in Punjab had substantially declined due to the ongoing crackdown under his government’s anti-drug campaign, “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh, while addressing the media in Ludhiana in Ludhiana district. Launched on March 1 with an initial three-month deadline, the campaign was later extended beyond May 31. CM Mann stated the problem had been “significantly reduced” through collective efforts, though not fully eliminated.
India 04-Aug-2025
On August 4, Punjab Police, on day 156 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 63 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 87 drug smugglers and seized 967 grams of heroin, 267 kg of poppy husk and 1869 intoxicant tablets/capsules from the possession of arrested drug smugglers, across Punjab. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 24,592 in 156 days.
United States 04-Aug-2025
On August 4, a 70-year-old Sikh man, Harpal Singh, was brutally attacked with a golf club near a Sikh gurdwara in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, United States (US), leaving him in critical condition with severe head injuries. On August 12, police arrested Bo Richard Vitagliano in connection with the assault after identifying him through surveillance footage. Singh has since undergone multiple surgeries for broken facial bones and brain bleeding. Authorities have stated that the incident is not being treated as a hate crime.
Canada 05-Aug-2025
On August 5, it was discovered that the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), in collaboration with the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Temple, had set up an ‘Embassy of Khalistan’ on the gurdwara premises in Surrey, Canada. The so-called embassy, marked with a board reading “Republic of Khalistan,” was established in a building reportedly constructed with funding from the Government of British Columbia, which had also recently allocated CAD 150,000 for the installation of an elevator in the same structure. This development comes amid renewed concerns over Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs), following the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s (CSIS) June 2025 disclosure that such actors continue to use Canadian soil to promote, fundraise, and plan violence primarily targeting India.
India 05-Aug-2025
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson and former Delhi Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) RP Singh, on August 5, issued a strong statement against Canada, accusing it of enabling extremism by allowing the establishment of a so-called “Khalistan Embassy” in Surrey. Describing it as a “serpentarium,” Singh said the move had turned Canadian soil into a breeding ground for separatist forces and warned that such actions threaten international diplomatic norms. Citing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, he argued that recognising missions of imaginary separatist states constitutes a direct violation of international law, not an exercise in free speech. Singh urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to lodge a strong protest and demanded immediate clarification and action from the Canadian government.
India 05-Aug-2025
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami, on August 5 in Amritsar, strongly criticised the government for granting fresh parole to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, while several Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences remain incarcerated. Calling the repeated release of Ram Rahim a reflection of discriminatory policies, Dhami questioned why special provisions were being extended to a convicted criminal, while justice continued to be denied to Sikh detainees.
India 05-Aug-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 5 carried out searches at 19 locations in connection with the March 14, 2025 grenade attack on Thakur Dwara Sanatan Temple in Amritsar, and seized several incriminating materials, including mobiles/digital devices, in the border districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur in Punjab. The NIA linked the March 14 grenade attack in Amritsar to a foreign-backed terror network that radicalised and armed Indian youth using drugs and money.
India 05-Aug-2025
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, on August 5 chaired a high-level meeting with senior police officers in Chandigarh to review the ongoing anti-drug campaign, law and order, and security arrangements ahead of Independence Day. He also shared updates on the Yudh Nasheyan Virudh campaign, launched on March 1, under which the Punjab Police have registered 15,671 First Information Reports (FIRs), arrested 24,639 drug smugglers, and recovered 1,020 kg of heroin, 330 kg of opium, 21 tonnes of poppy husk, 14 kg of charas, 377 kg of ganja, 3.3 kg of cocaine, 31.74 lakh intoxicant pills, and INR 12.25 crore in cash.
India 05-Aug-2025
Punjab Police on August 5 arrested two operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang after a brief encounter, identified as Sumit Bishnoi and Pankaj Malik, and seized a .32 pistol and four live cartridges from their possession, in Dera Bassi Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
India 05-Aug-2025
On August 5, Punjab Police, on day 157 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 89 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 109 drug smugglers, and seized 1.5 kg of heroin, 1.1 kg of opium, 35 quintals of poppy husk and INR 44,910 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers, across Punjab.
Canada 05-Aug-2025
India’s High Commission in Ottawa, on August 5, responded to signage promoting the so-called "Republic of Khalistan Embassy" at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, which featured images of Khalistani militants and terrorists Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The High Commission stated that Canadian soil must not be allowed to be used for anti-India activities that threaten the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The National Alliance of Indo-Canadians (NAIC) also expressed concern over the development, stating that it “condemns such reckless acts by fringe elements that hurt Indo-Canadians.”
Canada 05-Aug-2025
On August 5, Radio India station head Maninder Gill wrote to both British Columbia (BC) Premier David Eby and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, demanding action over the display of signage declaring an “Embassy of Khalistan” at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada. Gill noted that the building housing the signage was constructed with CAD 150,000 in provincial grants and argued that public funds should not be used to promote separatist extremism. He urged authorities to hold the gurdwara committee accountable, stressing that a registered Canadian charity should not act against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an allied nation like India.
United States 05-Aug-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on August 5 released a video message urging United States (US) President Donald Trump to terminate H-1B visas for Indian nationals and prioritise Pakistani citizens instead.
India 05-Aug-2025
Delhi Police on August 5 arrested a key member of the Tillu Tajpuriya gang, identified as Manjeet alias Dada and seized a pistol with three live rounds, a stolen motorcycle and a mobile phone from his possession, near Sarojini Nagar in South West Delhi district in Delhi.
India 05-Aug-2025
Sidhu Moose Wala’s mother, Charan Kaur, on August 5 revealed that unidentified assailants had fired shots at her late son’s statue in Dabwali, Sirsa district, Haryana. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the attack, with gang members Goldy Dhillon and Arzoo Bishnoi stating that those portraying Moose Wala as a martyr were misleading the public and warning of dire consequences for such acts.