KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 07-May-2025
Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on May 7 strongly condemned the recent attack in the Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), which resulted in civilian casualties, including three Sikhs, and significant damage to the Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha. Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives, the Jathedar called for sincere efforts from both nations to restore peace, emphasizing the devastating impact of war on humanity.
Canada 07-May-2025
Former Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Chandra Arya, who was barred from recontesting by the Liberal Party over alleged ties to the Government of India, announced the formation of the Hindu Public Affairs Council of Canada on May 7 via the social media platform X. Arya described the organization as a platform to defend Hindu-Canadians against rising anti-Hindu sentiment and Khalistani extremism. He denied acting as a proxy for the Indian state, calling such allegations an attempt to intimidate Hindu voices in Canada.
India 07-May-2025
Counter-Intelligence (CI) unit of Ferozepur Police on May 7 dismantled a cross-border narco-smuggling network and arrested two smugglers, identified as Sandeep Singh and Judge Singh and seized 465 grams of heroin, two Chinese-made pistols (7.65mm) with four magazines, a pistol slide along with a motorcycle near Kotwal village in Ferozepur district.
India 07-May-2025
Police on May 7 arrested a smuggler, identified as Babbu Singh alias Babbu and seized 5 kg of heroin from his agricultural field in Bhakhra village in Ferozepur district.
India 07-May-2025
On May 7, as the Border Security Force (BSF) remained on high alert following recent military strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Punjab Police intensified security in border villages of Amritsar district. Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, accompanied by senior police officials, visited several villages near the Indo-Pakistan border and reassured residents that the situation was under control. Punjab Police officials emphasized their preparedness to prevent any disturbances, maintaining close surveillance on potential threats while ensuring law and order in the border areas.
India 07-May-2025
On May 7, the Kartarpur Corridor, the only open surface link between India and Pakistan, was closed following the launch of Operation Sindoor. Around 150 Indian Sikh pilgrims who had arrived to visit the Sri Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Narowal were asked to return after waiting for over an hour at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, Punjab. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) announced the closure 'till further orders,' without specifying when it would reopen.
India 07-May-2025
Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on May 7 announced that all border districts in Punjab had been placed on high alert, with public events cancelled, following missile strikes by the Indian armed forces on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Arora praised the army’s actions under Operation Sindoor, emphasizing Punjab’s strong support for national security. He confirmed that the Punjab Police is fully prepared to support the Indian Army. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also postponed his anti-drug events in light of the rising tensions.
India 07-May-2025
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, speaking in Chandigarh on May 7, hailed the Indian defence forces’ precision strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He praised the forces for targeting only terrorist camps while avoiding civilian and military installations, underscoring India’s intent to prevent escalation. Amarinder condemned Pakistan’s response, which involved heavy shelling in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), resulting in civilian casualties.
India 07-May-2025
On May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, striking nine terrorist infrastructure sites, including camps linked to banned groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In retaliation, Pakistan shelled forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Union Home Secretary reviewed civil defence measures, while the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) discussed the situation in closed-door consultations.
India 08-May-2025
The Amritsar Counter Intelligence (CI) unit on May 8 arrested two operatives of foreign-based smuggler Jassa, identified as Gurpinder Singh and Sajan, and seized 10 kg of heroin along with INR 1 lakh in drug money from their possession in Amritsar district.
India 08-May-2025
Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and Police on May 8 arrested a key associate of foreign-based gangster Rajesh Kumar alias Sonu Khatri, identified as Harjinder Singh and seized two .32 bore and one .30 bore along with 14 carriages from his possession, in Kharar in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
India 08-May-2025
On May 8, missile debris was found in agricultural fields across three villages—Jethuwal, Makhanwindi, and Pandher—with fragments even scattered inside homes in Jethuwal in Amritsar district. No casualties or property damage were reported. Authorities confirmed that the debris belonged to missiles launched by Pakistan in an attempt to target military installations in northern and western India. Security forces, including the Army and the Indian Air Force, secured the area and advised residents to stay away from the debris.
India 08-May-2025
On May 8, in response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, blackouts were ordered in several border districts, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur in Punjab, as well as in border areas of Rajasthan and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chandigarh Administration also imposed a blackout following air raid sirens, affecting nearby areas such as Zirakpur, Mohali, and Panchkula. In Gurdaspur, the blackout is enforced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, with exemptions for central jails and hospitals, where windows must remain closed during these hours. Authorities have urged residents to keep their lights off and stay indoors, while emphasizing that there is no need for panic.
India 08-May-2025
On May 8, in response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, blackouts were ordered in several border districts, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur in Punjab, as well as in border areas of Rajasthan and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chandigarh Administration also imposed a blackout following air raid sirens, affecting nearby areas such as Zirakpur, Mohali, and Panchkula. In Gurdaspur, the blackout is enforced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, with exemptions for central jails and hospitals, where windows must remain closed during these hours. Authorities have urged residents to keep their lights off and stay indoors, while emphasizing that there is no need for panic.
India 08-May-2025
On May 8, flight operations at Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport in Amritsar were temporarily suspended, resulting in the cancellation of 22 flights, including international services such as a Qatar Airways flight, which was diverted to Muscat, and a SpiceJet flight from Sharjah. Although passengers were informed of the suspension in advance, many were left stranded, including individuals with urgent travel plans. Security at the airport was heightened, with senior police officials deployed to manage the situation.
India 08-May-2025
Pro-Khalistan and 'SFJ Zindabad' slogans were found painted on an Indian Railways wall near Dashmesh Public School in Faridkot district on May 8. The graffiti, allegedly the work of supporters of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), prompted swift police action. A case was registered under Sections 196 (using evidence known to be false), 197 (issuing or signing false certificates), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1985. Police have intensified surveillance, and a forensic analysis of the graffiti is underway.
India 08-May-2025
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, while addressing the press in New Delhi on May 8, stated that Pakistan had repeatedly violated the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by creating deliberate legal obstacles. He emphasized that India had shown considerable restraint by adhering to the treaty for 65 years despite such provocations. Misri noted that India had issued multiple notices over the past two and a half years seeking discussions to modify the treaty. He cited demographic shifts, climate change, and terrorism as key factors undermining India’s treaty rights. India has now placed the treaty in abeyance, demanding that Pakistan irrevocably cease support for cross-border terrorism.
India 08-May-2025
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, while addressing the press in New Delhi on May 8, stated that Pakistan had deliberately targeted the Sikh community in Jammu and Kashmir by attacking a gurdwara in Poonch and killing 16 civilians, including women and children. Misri described the Pahalgam terror attack as the 'original escalation' and emphasized that India’s response was precise, controlled, and non-escalatory. He reiterated that India’s intent is not to escalate tensions but to respond proportionately to acts of terror.
India 08-May-2025
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on May 8 accused the Union and Haryana governments of attempting to 'steal' Punjab’s waters through the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and stated that Punjab is fighting twin battles—against Pakistan on its borders and Delhi over water rights—while staging a sit-in at Nangal in Rupnagar district. Mann held the sit-in to protest the alleged diversion of water to Haryana by the BBMB, calling it a 'nefarious design,' and vowed to challenge the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.
India 08-May-2025
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on May 8 accused the Union and Haryana governments of attempting to 'steal' Punjab’s waters through the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and stated that Punjab is fighting twin battles—against Pakistan on its borders and Delhi over water rights—while staging a sit-in at Nangal in Rupnagar district. Mann held the sit-in to protest the alleged diversion of water to Haryana by the BBMB, calling it a 'nefarious design,' and vowed to challenge the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.