KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Police in the state are in a tizzy after pro-Khalistan slogans were found written on the walls of the Hanumangarh railway yard on Tuesday morning.
Among them was a threat to create 'Khalistan' in Rajasthan. A video is also going viral in which pro-Khalistan slogans are accompanied by the voice of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a leader of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice, making similar threats.
In the video, threats have also been issued to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, actor Amitabh Bachchan and some other prominent persons.
Intelligence and security agencies have taken the matter seriously, as they fear an attempt to create disturbance in Hanumangarh district that has a large Sikh population.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) has registered a case in the matter.
SP Rajiv Pachar said that on receiving information about the slogans, police reached the spot along with the GRP and started an investigation.
Since the railway yard is located in a deserted area, with no CCTV, the cops found no clue about the Khalistan supporters. But police suspect some people from Punjab, who had travelled to Hanumangarh by train, might be behind the mischief.
Canadian diplomats are misusing their powers in different consulates across Chandigarh and other areas of Punjab to grant visas to people with known criminal antecedents who are Khalistani supporters, top government sources told CNN-News18 amid the face-off between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Sources said the diplomats have gone “very soft” on visas to people despite knowing their antecedents. They added that the visas are being extended just to support the Khalistan cause so that the momentum can gain maximum strength.
“The Canadian diplomats have done this deliberately and the idea was very clear — to give visa to take certain individuals out of India. Even people those who were involved in cases were given visa and sent to Canada by these diplomats,” the sources said.
Yet another bone of contention between the two countries is Canada’s refusal to help India with extradition in certain cases as well as investigations into those who have gone and taken shelter in Canada. Sources said the Indian government has evidence of Canada supporting farmers’ agitation too.
Recently, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had said India has evidence of the Canadian government’s interference in India’s affairs.
“There’s this whole issue of parity that the size of how many diplomats there are of one country versus how many diplomats there are of the other country. Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this,” the minister was quoted by ANI as saying on the issue of diplomats being withdrawn.
“But in our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel. We haven’t made much of that public. My sense is over a period of time more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did”, he added.
The tensions between India and Canada escalated after the Justin Trudeau government announced that it had called back 41 diplomats. The withdrawal came a day before the deadline set by India, failing which they were liable to lose their diplomatic immunity.
New Delhi had sought “parity” in the strength of Canada’s diplomatic presence by bringing down those stationed in the country from 62 to 21. Trudeau called India’s actions as violation of the Geneva Convention.
The Canada Government has removed a total of 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatened to revoke their immunity. The move comes amid escalating diplomatic tension between India and Canada over slain pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said 41 of Canada's 62 diplomats in India have been removed, along with their dependents. Joly said exceptions have been made for 21 Canadian diplomats who will remain in India.
“Forty-one Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having their immunity stripped on an arbitrary date and this would put their personal safety at risk," Joly said. “Our diplomats and their families have now left."
"Canadians watching may be wondering what this means for our operations in India. There's no question that India's decision will impact the levels of services to Consulates in both countries. Unfortunately, we have to put a pause on all in-person services in our Consulates in Chandigarh, in Mumbai and in Bangalore..." Joly further said.
The moves come after Canada's allegations that India may have been involved in the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver. India has accused Canada of harboring separatists and “terrorists," but dismissed the allegation of its involvement in the killing as “absurd" and has taken diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.
Joly said removing diplomatic immunity is not only unprecedented but contrary to international law, and said for that reason Canada wouldn't threaten to do the same thing with Indian diplomats.
"A unilateral revocation of the diplomatic privilege and immunity is contrary to international law and a clear violation of the Geneva Convention on diplomatic relations. Threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory," Joly said.
Joly said India’s decision will impact the level of services to citizens of both countries. She said Canada is pausing in-person services in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had previously called for a reduction in Canadian diplomats in India, saying they outnumbered India’s staffing in Canada.
This comes as in September Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said that there were ‘credible allegations’ that India and its intelligence agency were involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
In the escalating tension between the two countries, India has cancelled visas for Canadians. India also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat.
The allegation of India’s involvement in the killing is based in part on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, a separate Canadian official previously told The Associated Press.
The official said that the communications involved Indian officials and diplomats in Canada and that some of the intelligence was provided by a member of the “Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Canada. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The Punjab Police on Tuesday said they have averted the possible killings of some prominent people with the arrest of four men linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda. Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said the four accused were backed by Rinda and operated by US-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia.
Police recovered one .32 bore pistol along with 10 live cartridges from the possession of Vikramjit Singh alias Raja Bains from Batala and Amritsar residents Bawa Singh, Gurkirpal Singh alias Gagan Randhawa and Amanat Gill, he added.
Following intelligence inputs about Rinda and Happy Passia hiring two shooters and planning to target some prominent persons in the state, police teams of the state special operation cell of SAS Nagar launched an operation and nabbed Vikramjit and Bawa, he said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Happy Passia had a deal with Vikramjit for Rs 15 lakh to carry out a target killing. Vikramjit had also conducted the recce of the target in the last week of September, the DGP said.
Yadav said the follow-up investigations suggested that Happy Passia arranged a pistol and live rounds for Vikramjit through his local associates Gurkirpal, Hari Singh alias Harry and Amanat.
“Following the disclosures of arrested accused, police teams also nabbed Gurkirpal and Amanat, while Hari Singh managed to flee abroad,” he added.
An FIR has been registered under the relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
A few days ago, police in a joint operation with the central agencies thwarted a possible terrorist attack in the border state by busting a terror module backed by militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) with the arrest of two operatives.
In an unusual development, calls for the creation of Khalistan have surfaced in the heart of Karachi, with slogans proclaiming, "Pakistan banega Khalistan, Karachi banega Khalistan, Mulla banega Khalsa." This unexpected occurrence reflects the persistence of the Khalistan movement's ideals even beyond India's borders.
Pakistan has been accused of fomenting separatist sentiments in Punjab, particularly by supporting the Khalistan movement and aiding Khalistani terrorists. This situation has reached a point where pro-Khalistan slogans have started to appear in the region. The video showcasing these slogans has gained significant traction on social media, amplifying concerns about the influence of such ideologies.
Earlier in August, Delhi witnessed a disturbing incident where the walls of several metro stations were marred by pro-Khalistani graffiti in the lead-up to the G20 summit. Delhi Police issued a statement noting that these slogans, which included sentiments like 'Khalistan is a part of India' and expressions against PM Modi, appeared on the walls of various metro stations.
Photographs released by Delhi Police vividly showcased the pro-Khalistani slogans that defaced the metro stations. The slogans read, "Delhi Banega Khalistan" and "Khalistan Zindabad." Additionally, "Sikhs For Justice (SFJ)" published unedited footage highlighting the defacement of Delhi Metro stations with pro-Khalistan slogans, further emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
Canada granted citizenship to a man who admitted to providing food and shelter to Khalistani terrorists during the Punjab militancy, a period of heightened tensions between Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab that lasted from 1982 to 1992. The man, identified only as Kamaljeet Ram, reportedly admitted to providing food and shelter to terrorists on his farm in Punjab during the militancy period. He said that he did so out of fear for his own safety and the safety of his family.
The Indian Union Ministry of Home Affairs has upgraded the security of the nation's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Z category, after a Khalistani group in Canada put up posters labelling the minister and two others, 'enemies of Canada'. As per reports, some posters also call for his assassination.
The posters feature images of Jaishankar, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Indian high commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma.
These posters were put up by a Khalistani group called Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on Tuesday, reports Hindustan Times.
Indian EAM Jaishankar will now be guarded by the VIP security wing of the Central Reserve Security Force (CRPF), which guards around 176 people in the country. His protection detail will consist of 22 personnel, including 4-6 NSG commandos and police personnel.
The report further cites a Delhi Police officer, who, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that police had also received inputs of threats to Jaishankar from separatist groups.
As per the report, the posters also announce that a 'referendum' over the carving out of a separate state of "Khalistan" out of India will be held outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Surrey, British Columbia.
The Gurudwara is where Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by unidentified men on June 18th.
This comes as Khalistani extremist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in a video threatened India of a Hamas-like attack.
Pannun, a designated terrorist under India's Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), can be heard saying: "People under illegal occupation from Punjab to Palestine will react. And violence begets violence."
He further addresses the Indian PM and said: "Modi, learn from Israel-Palestine conflict... If India is going to keep occupying Punjab, there will be a reaction and, Modi and India, you will be responsible. SFJ believes in ballot. SFJ believes in vote. Liberation of Punjab is on the cards."
Calls for 'referendum'
Quoting people in the know, the Indian media publication reports that the referendum will be held in Vancouver on October 29. Before that, on October 21, a protest is slated to be launched from Surrey to the Indian consulate in Vancouver.
A sign outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple is seen after the killing on its grounds in June 2023 of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia.
Reportedly, similar poster previously called for the assassination of Indian high commission to Canada Sanjay Verma and consul generals Manish and Apoorva Srivastava.
The Amritsar (Rural) police in a joint operation with the city police and the State Special Operation Cell today arrested three operatives of US-based criminal Harpreet Singh from Ajnala for planning target killings in Punjab. The police have seized two pistols, three magazines and 11 bullets from them. They were produced before the Ajnala sub-division court, which sent them to police remand.
The police officials revealed that Harpreet, who hails from Pachhia village in Ramdas area here, and his two accomplices Harbir Singh and Navroop Singh, also from the same area and currently living in the USA, were in touch with Pakistan-based Harvinder Singh, member, Babar Khalsa International outfit. Harvinder has already been designated as a terrorist by the Indian Government.
Meanwhile, DGP, Punjab Police, Gaurav Yadav has confirmed the arrest of Jaswinder Singh of Ramdas, Lovepreet Singh of Pandori village (Ramdas) and Gurpartap Singh of Jassar village (Ramdas) in a social media message.
Besides, the police have also booked their three accomplices. As per the FIR registered with Ajnala police, the group had recently received a consignment of weapons from across the Indo-Pak border and were planning to target various political and socio-religious leaders in different parts of Punjab. The informer had told the police that the armed persons were roaming in a Swift car.
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/3-of-bki-backed-terror-module-held-552443
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit, is known for making inflammatory statements and issuing threats against Indian leaders. In a chilling video that has surfaced online, he threatens Prime Minister Narendra Modi to learn from the Israel-Palestine war lest a similar "reaction" unravels in India. He further added that “we will do a Hamas-like attack on India.”
Hamas carried out a barrage of air strikes in Southern Israel on Saturday, killing over 1,000 people so far.
Pannun's video comes at a time when India is facing an increasing threat from Khalistani terrorism. In recent months, there have been several attacks on Hindu temples and Sikh leaders in Punjab. The Indian government has blamed the SFJ for these attacks.
"People under illegal occupation from Punjab to Palestine will react. And violence begets violence," Pannun said, adding that if India continues to "occupy" Punjab, there will be a "reaction" and "India and PM Modi will be responsible for it".
In the video, Pannun stirred drama and signaled potential change, claiming that "the liberation of Punjab is on the cards." Pannun further stated that SFJ believes in the power of "ballot and vote," effectively advocating for peaceful democratic processes as a means to achieve their objectives. While making a shooting gesture at the camera, Pannun said, "India, choice is yours. Ballot or bullet."
The new threat message comes amid a diplomatic stand-off between India and Canada over the alleged assassination of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.
The Ahmedabad police recently registered an FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun over his threat to disrupt a World Cup match between India and Pakistan to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat. The FIR was registered in Ahmedabad under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The action came from police after threatening pre-recorded messages were published on various social media handles and an attempt was made to spoil the atmosphere. "FIR registered against Pannu under 121(A),153(A)(B), 505 IPC,UAPA and IT Act 66 F," ANI quoted Ajit Rajian,Cyber Crime DCP, Ahmedabad as saying.
In the clip, Pannun can be heard saying, "Pro Khalistan Sikhs from Canada are in Delhi to avenge the assassination of Shaheed Najjar.”
The SFI leader had earlier threatened Indian diplomats in Canada, particularly Sanjay Verma, India's High Commissioner to Canada. The Khalistani terror organisation 'recommended' India to close its embassy in Ottawa and recall the envoy stationed there.
Meanwhile, on September 23, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated considerable assets in Chandigarh and Amritsar linked to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in Punjab under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Pannun, who lives in Canada, was named as a wanted terrorist in 2020. He is facing more than 20 criminal counts in Punjab. He has threatened Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on numerous occasions.
Pannun was given non-bailable arrest warrants by the Special NIA Court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a "Proclaimed Offender" (PO) on November 29, last year.
Following the allegations of receiving foreign funds from the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Amarpreet Singh, the India chief of the UK-based non-governmental organisation Khalsa Aid, has resigned.
A letter dated October 8, claimed to have been issued by Khalsa Aid on social media, says the organisational changes in the NGO's structure were necessary.
"We constantly try to ensure that its management structure runs smoothly and we always try to be accountable to the Sangat (people). With this objective, changes have been made in our operations at the Khalsa Aid India Charitable Trust Board and Khalsa Aid India in recent days. This change was necessary to ensure the smooth running of the operations in Punjab and across India," says the letter.
Notably, in August, the anti-terror agency National Investigation Team (NIA) had raided the premises of Khalsa Aid's India headquarters in Patiala. The agency seized some documents and two mobile phones owned by Amarpreet Singh.
The NIA team had also conducted a search at Amarpreet Singh's house, located in the Patiala area, after the attack on an Indian mission in London on March 19. He was also questioned over the source of money and the details of volunteers associated with the NGO.
As per sources, Khalsa Aid came under the NIA's radar after a case was registered against the US-based terrorist organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in 2021 during the farmer agitation.
The probe agency alleged that SFJ had sent foreign funds through NGOs to “pro-Khalistan elements” for spreading “propaganda against India”.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Canada in July this year, was a prominent member of the SFJ.
While Amarpreet Singh was unavailable for comment, Patiala CID officials confirmed that he had resigned as Khalsa Aid's India chief.