KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Pro-Khalistan Twitter accounts have been withheld in India. The withheld accounts include the Twitter accounts of Canada's New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh. The Twitter accounts of Canadian poet Rupi Kaur, the voluntary organisation United Sikhs, and Canada-based activist Gurdeep Singh Sahota have also been blocked.
When anyone tries to access these Twitter accounts from India, it says they have been withheld in response to a legal demand.
The blocking of Jagmeet Singh's account is significant as he is known for his anti-India comments. The development comes at a time when there has been a rise in attacks by these Khalistani elements in foreign countries.
Khalistani supporters vandalised the Indian High Commission in London on Sunday. After vandalism in London, Khalistani supporters allegedly attacked Indian Consulate in San Francisco (SFO). Videos of supporters breaking the doors and barging into the office surfaced on social media.
Visuals shared online showed a huge mob brandishing Khalistan flags mounted on wooden poles, using it to smash glass doors and windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke through makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two Khalistani flags inside the premises.
India has launched a strong protest with the United Kingdom over the vandalisation incident at the Indian High Commission in London, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Monday.
Responding to queries during a media briefing on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit here, the Foreign Secretary said that the British Deputy High Commissioner was summoned on Sunday to convey India's concerns.
"With regard to the UK incident, we have already put out yesterday late evening India's response to it in which UK Deputy High Commissioner was summoned...demanding an explanation and asking the culprits and the perpetrators of what happened at London yesterday to be quickly arrested and prosecuted," the Foreign Secretary said.
"We launched a strong protest and also clearly indicated to the British authorities for the need for them to put up adequate security at the UK High Commission," he added.
On Sunday, the senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi was summoned to convey India's strong protest at the actions taken by separatist and anti-India elements against the Indian High Commission in London.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said that explanation was demanded "for the complete absence" of British security that allowed these separatist and extremist elements to enter the High Commission premises.
"She was reminded in this regard of the basic obligations of the UK Government under the Vienna Convention. India finds unacceptable the indifference of the UK Government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in the UK," the MEA statement said.
"It is expected that the British Government would take steps to identify, arrest and prosecute each one of those involved in the incident, and put in place stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents," it added.
Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/pro-khalistan-twitter-accounts-including-canadian-officials-blocked-123032001419_1.html
The tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission in London was grabbed at by a group of protesters waving separatist Khalistani flags and chanting pro-Khalistani slogans on Sunday, leading to an arrest related to the violent disorder.
Officials from the mission said the "attempted but failed" attack had been foiled and that the tricolour was now flying "grander".
Scotland Yard said it was called to reports of disorder on Sunday afternoon and that a man has been arrested as its enquiries continue.
'There was no report of any injury, however windows were broken at the High Commission building,' the Metropolitan Police statement said.
'Officers attended the location. The majority of those present had dispersed prior to the arrival of police. An investigation was launched, and one male was arrested nearby a short time later on suspicion of violent disorder. Enquiries continue,' the statement said.
Images of shattered windows and men climbing the India House building were circulating on social media and videos from the scene show an Indian official grabbing the flag from a protester through the first-floor window of the mission, while the protester is seen hanging off its ledge and waving a Khalistan flag before it is taken away.
The MEA said the senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi was summoned late evening on Sunday to convey India's 'strong protest' at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London.
'An explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security that allowed these elements to enter the High Commission premises. She was reminded in this regard of the basic obligations of the UK Government under the Vienna Convention,' the MEA statement said.
A total of 78 persons have been arrested and several detained so far in connection with the crackdown launched against the chief of suspected pro-Khalistan outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’, Amritpal Singh and his aides, Punjab Police said on Saturday, adding that the Khalistan sympathiser is still on the run.
“Punjab Police on Saturday launched a massive state-wide Cordon And Search Operations (CASO) in the state against elements of Waris Punjab De (WPD) against whom several criminal cases stand registered,” police said, adding that in the operation a total of 78 persons have been arrested so far, while, several others have been detained for questioning.
Divulging more details, the official spokesperson of Punjab Police said that on Saturday afternoon, several activities of Waris Punjab De were intercepted by the Police at the Shahkot-Malsian Road in Jalandhar district and seven persons were arrested on the spot.
“Several others including Amritpal Singh are on the run and a massive manhunt has been launched to nab them,” he added.
During the state-wide operation, nine weapons, including one .315 bore rifle, seven rifles of 12 bore, one revolver and 373 live cartridges of different calibres have been recovered so far.
The Spokesperson informed that WPD elements are involved in four criminal cases relating to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police persons and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duties of public servants.
“Case FIR No. 39 dated February 24, 2023, stands registered against WPD elements for the attack on Ajnala Police Station,” he added.
He said that all persons involved in criminal offences shall be dealt with in accordance with the law and all persons wanted by the police should offer themselves to the process of law. Their constitutional rights of legal defence shall be protected, he added.
Meanwhile, the police requested all the citizens not to pay heed to fake news and rumours.
“Situation in the state is completely stable. All persons indulging in mischievous activities for disturbing peace and harmony in the state shall be dealt with strictly,” the police said.
Earlier in the day, mobile Internet services were also suspended in several districts of Punjab until 12 noon on Sunday.
The police action came almost over three weeks after Amritpal’s supporters clashed with police personnel at the Ajnala police station on the outskirts of Amritsar last month, demanding the release of one of Amritpal’s close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.
On February 23, thousands of his supporters, stormed the Ajnala police station, flashing swords and high-calibre firearms, threatening the police with dire consequences if they did not release Lovepreet Toofan, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting and abducting a man.
The supporters, brandishing swords and guns broke through police barricades erected outside the Ajnala police station.
The police later said “in the light of the evidence presented”, it has been decided that Lovepreet Singh Toofan will be discharged.
Lovepreet Singh was released from jail on February 24 following orders of a court in Ajnala on an application by the police.
Reacting to the incident, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that these “1000 people” don’t represent Punjab, and alleged that they are “funded by Pakistan” to disrupt peace in the state.
Terming attempts at Khalistan referendum in a
few Western countries by an outfit banned by India as "pakhand" and a
handiwork of Pakistan's ISI, Dal Khalsa founder Jaswant Singh Thekedar has said
that it is an attempt to mislead people and has nothing to do with Sikhs in
India.
In an interview with ANI, Thekedar, who is
UK-based Sikh separatist leader, also said Pakistan is the real enemy of
Khalistan and "some Sikhs are working as tools" in hands of Pakistan
government.
He said people of Punjab are not demanding any
referendum.
"The referendum you are talking about,
those in Punjab do not demand it. It's an organisation 2020, they talk of
referendum on the instructions of ISI. Referendum does not mean... if Indian
passport holders or Indian citizens want it then it is understandable, but it
is not that Canadian, American or British people vote. They do not have any
right," he said answering queries.
"It is 'pakhand' (sham) to mislead people.
People are understanding it a source of income for them," he added.
Asked about reports last year of Khalistani
slogans painted on walls of Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United
States last year, he said such an act had never been done.
"It is not right (to write Khalistan Zindabad) on the consulate building. It was never done in the past, during the movement in the past 40 years. As I said, there is an ISI role in it. They are misleading them, hiring people and getting this done. There is no hand of Sikhs in this," he said.
On Wednesday the Indian consulate in Brisbane
in Australia was forced to close down due to safety concerns following
unauthorised gathering by Khalistani supporters.
Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday
that India's Honorary Consulate in Brisbane was "halted for little
while" and the matter had been taken up with Australian authorities and
the teams of two countries are in touch.
Asked about to 'Warris Punjab De' chief
Amritpal Singh, whose supporters had last month stormed Ajnala Police station
in Amritsar seeking release of his associate, Thakedar said Amritpal Singh does
not know about Sikh history and he will not succeed.
"He (Amritpal Singh) himself, when he was
in Dubai, was clean-shaven. He was not a (traditional) Sikh. He does not know
anything about Sikh history. I must add that several Amritpal like him will
come because those who are used by ISI, they are not used for lifetime. When
they feel that a person is no longer of use, they keep other people in line.
They pick others then," he said.
"Amritpal is not a Khalistani, he knows
nothing about it. But this is for sure, he has earned a lot on the name of
Khalistan. I don't think he will succeed further," Thekedar added.
He said Pakistan government now thinks that
they do not need to fight with India. "Some Sikhs are working as tools in
their hands. They think they do not need to get into war in which thousands
will die (on their side). They now use and feed people, and disturb the Indian
government."
Thekedar said every issue has a political
solution.
"Those who were previously pro-Khalistan,
their committee should be constituted by the Indian government. If solutions
like these are found, the Khalistan movement will end."
He also slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government
in Punjab over the law and order situation in the state.
"The Punjab government is not capable of
dealing with this. There is no face in it which can handle this. I feel they,
by not taking right actions, are giving a boost to this movement,"
Thekedar said.
He also said that Pakistan is enemy of
Khalistan and it wants to foment trouble.
"Pakistan knows that if a country of Sikhs
comes into being, they will next come to Lahore only. They will come to Nankana
Sahib and Panja Sahib. They themselves won't let this happen. Pakistan is the
real enemy of Khalistan," Thekedar said.
He said Pakistan has never given political
asylum to any Sikh, because it does not want them to get any status.
"The Khalistanis know that Pakistan wants
us to get killed and use us. They know it internally," he added.
Answering a query, he said that
"movement" has almost ended in United Kingdom.
He said Indian government should fulfil demands
such as release of Sikh political prisoners as it will create goodwill and
check those who want separatism to rise. (ANI)
Australian government was left stunned with the recent demonstration by Khalistan supporters, which urged them to close down the Honorary Consulate of India in Brisbane.
The Honorary Consulate of India in Brisbane was forced to close down on Wednesday due to safety concerns after Khalistan supporters organised an unauthorised gathering and blocked the entry of the office, days after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese assured India that his government will not tolerate "extreme actions."
The incident is the latest in a series of radical activities against the Indian community in Australia.
It comes days after Australian Prime Minister Albanese assured his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi that Australia won't tolerate any extreme actions like attacks on religious places.
The Honorary Consulate located on Swann Road in the Taringa suburb of Brisbane was forced to close down after Khalistan supporters blockaded the entry.
Queensland Police says it was an unauthorised gathering, however, they were allowed to enter the consulate property and block anyone from entering it, according to The Australia Today portal.
Parvinder Singh, a resident of regional Queensland, said he took leave from his work to attend an appointment at Indian Consulate, in Brisbane. However, Singh is left with no choice but to go back and reschedule his appointment to get his young child's Overseas Citizen of Indian card issues sorted.
“These thugs should not be allowed to dictate how we live our life in Australia," Singh said.
“They are threatening us when we visit Gurughar (Gurudwara) now these Khalistan supporters are entering into our daily life for worse.”
“Queensland government and police need to deal with the full force of the law as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a few days back,” Singh added.
"Australia won't tolerate any extreme actions and attacks that took place in religious buildings, and there is no place for such action against Hindu temples," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said while addressing a press conference in New Delhi on March 11.
Two men have
been arrested by Gujarat police from eastern Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district, in
connection with a bulk video and voice message, allegedly released by a
pro-Khalistan group threatening to storm the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad
ahead of the ongoing India-Australia cricket test match.
According to a
Gujarat police official, the Ahmedabad police’s cybercrime cell traced the
message’s origin to a call spoofing facility set up in MP’s Rewa district.
Based on a subsequent probe, the Gujarat cops arrested two people from the Rewa
district of Vindhya region on Sunday.
Prior to the
India-Australia cricket match, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, a mass message urging
people to stay safe at home was sent out. The message warned that a
pro-Khalistan group planned to storm the cricket stadium and raise its flag.
According to authorities, the message, which supposedly came from Gurpatwant
Singh Pannun, the leader of US headquartered-terrorist group “Sikhs for
Justice,” threatened to sabotage the cricket match.
Meanwhile,
reports from Bhopal said two alleged extremist religious preachers, who’ve
reportedly been involved of late in instigating people against democracy, were
picked up for questioning by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths
from Seoni district of southeastern Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. An NIA
team accompanied by an MP police raided the residential premises of three men,
including Abdul Aziz, Shoaib Khan and Akram.
Two of these
men, Abdul Aziz (around 40) and Shoaib Khan (around 26) were detained by the
NIA and taken for further questioning in connection with NIA’s regular case
(46/2022) pertaining to experimental bomb blast and burning of the national
flag by three ISIS operatives in Shivmogga in November last year.
Ahead of the G20 summit in Punjab, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a secessionist pro-Khalistan organisation, brandished Khalistani posters at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar. The posters dangling from the walls of the Guru Nanak Dev University mentioned that "Punjab is not India; Khalistan Zindabad."
Reportedly, SFJ has called for ‘Rail Roko' (impeding trains) all across the state on March 15 and 16 in an attempt to disrupt the sessions of the G20 summit 2023, which is scheduled to take place in Amritsar.
Earlier on March 6, SFJ Chief Gurpatwant Pannu released a video addressing the G20 representatives in which he claimed that Punjab is not a part of India. He further announced that the railway services in multiple locations will remain shut.
He said, "This message is for the G20 foreign ministers. Punjab is not India. SFJ will storm and target the New Delhi Airport with Khalistan flags," and further stated, "Now is the time that you (G20 foreign ministers) support the Khalistan referendum. You support the Sikhs' rights to self-determination, and you do not recognise India’s territorial integrity because India is not a country but a union of states with a condition. If people do not want to stay with that union, they have the right to vote. "
In Punjab's Bagha Purana city on February 27, the radical group SFJ, painted pro-Khalistan graffiti, "Punjab is not a part of India," outside the Sub Divisional Magistrate's office.
Amid a series of high-profile hate-attacks and defacements of Hindu temples in Australia, it has now come to light that the Swaminarayan Temple in Perth has received a threat call from Khalistan supporters.
This development came as Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flew from Perth to India for a state visit. As per inputs, the Khalistan supporters shared an audio message in which he can be heard threatening the president of the Shree Swaminarayan Temple.
Australia:
Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Perth threatened
While speaking with The Australia Today, the President of Temple, Vinodbhai Hirani, said he received a call from an American number, and the man who was on the call said himself to be "Gurupdesh Singh," who warned Hindus to support Khalistan or face dire consequences. Hirani told the Australian media that they are deciding with the management committee on how to further protect the temple from such attacks.
This incident comes after the Shree Laxmi Narayan Mandir (temple) in Brisbane's Burbank suburb was attacked by a group of Khalistani supporters. Notably, Saturday's attacks were the fifth attempt at vandalism after various attempts earlier in January and February. The Police's help has been sought in Western Australia. "Temple priest and devotees called this morning and notified me about the vandalism on the boundary wall of our temple," Temple president Satinder Shukla was quoted as saying by The Australia Today website.
Australian
PM Anthony Albanese to visit India on 4-day tour
Australian
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to visit India on his four-day official
state tour scheduled from March 8 to March 11. Notably, this is the first visit
by an Australian Prime Minister in six years and comes on at the time of the
Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which entered into force in
December. The Australian Prime Minister will be accompanied by Australia's
Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farell, and Minister for Resources
and Northern Australia, Madeleine King, along with other senior officials. The
highlight of his visit will be attending the 4th and pivotal India-Australia
test match in Ahmedabad with PM Modi.
In yet another attack on Hindu Temple in Australia, Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple in Brisbane on Saturday was vandalised by pro-Khalistan supporters.
Temple president Satinder Shukla while speaking to The Australia Today said, "Temple priest and devotees called this morning and notified me about the vandalism on the boundary wall of our temple." Sarah Gates, who is the Director of Hindu Human Rights said, "This latest hate crime is a pattern of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) globally, clearly attempting to terrorise Australian Hindus. Coupled with a barrage of propaganda, illegal signs, and cyberbullying, the organisation intends to present all-pervasive threats, fear, and intimidation," to The Australia Today.
In January, Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Australia's Carrum Downs was vandalised with anti-Hindu graffiti.
The act came to notice on January 16 after temple devotees came for 'darshan' amid the three-day long "Thai Pongal" festival, which was celebrated by Australia's Tamil Hindu community, The Australia Today reported. On the evening of January 15, 2023, Khalistan supporters tried to draw support for their referendum through a car rally in Melbourne. However, they failed miserably as less than two hundred people gathered out of an almost 60,000-strong Melbourne community, according to The Australia Today.
A week before the above incident, On January 12, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Australia's Mill Park was smeared with anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti. The temple was vandalised by anti-India elements with anti-India slogans written on the temple's walls, located in the suburb of Mill Park, The Australia Today reported. Patel, an onlooker shared how he witnessed the vandalised walls of the temple when he visited the site.
The management of Melbourne's International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple also known as the Hare Krishna Temple found the temple walls vandalised with anti-India graffiti.
The attack on ISKCON Temple came two days after Victorian multifaith leaders held an emergency meeting with Victorian Multicultural Commission, per the news report. The Victorian Multicultural Commission had issued a statement condemning the vandalism of Hindu temples in Mill Park and Carrum Downes.
Later, India had condemned the vandalisation of Hindu temples in Australia and said that the matter has been raised with the Australian government in Canberra and asked for expeditious investigation against the perpetrators.
Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs had assured, "Our Consulate General in Australia has taken the matter with the local police. We have requested expeditious investigation action against the perpetrators and of course measures to prevent such incidents in future. The matter has also been taken up with the Australian Government, both in Canberra and New Delhi. And we are looking forward to the action that we have requested."