Sikhs For Justice’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and eight others have been designated by the Ministry of Home Affairs as ‘terrorists’
Rajnish Singh
NEW DELHI — Banned secessionist outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on Wednesday announced to organise a “global referendum” from the UK on August 15, 2021.
The group’s US-based General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun circulated the anti-India message on some specific internet platforms regarding the move.
The message was followed by a short video shot by Pannun, who along with eight other pro-Khalistan activists was designated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as ‘terrorist’ on July 1 this year.
The announcement will push security establishments and anti-terror agencies here to intensify their efforts against the group which was banned by the MHA via a notification dated July 10 last year by declaring it as an ‘unlawful association’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) following its anti-India activities to disrupt peace and law and order here.
Accessed by IANS, the message also claimed to leave SFJ’s mark in the national capital on Wednesday by raising pro-Khalistan slogans.
In the header of the message, the SFJ mentioned, “Khalistan slogans at Delhi Metro and Khalistan flag raised at Yamuna Bridge Crossing”.
“The supporters of secessionist group SFJ have left their mark in the Indian capital by writing Khalistan slogans at Delhi Metro and also a flag has been raised at the Yamuna bridge crossing,” claimed the message which was circulated just two days after the group gave a call to farmers here to hoist Khalistan flags at India Gate in Delhi on November 26 to highlight the campaign of “Punjab Independence Reference”.
“Khalistan flag at Yamuna crossing is message to Modi government about the boundaries of independent Punjab for which SFJ is organising global referendum starting from London on 15th August 2021,” the message further said.
However, the security establishments refused to have noticed any such activity in the national capital. The agencies are also keeping a strict vigil in the suspected areas across the capital city along with the law enforcement agencies to avoid any untoward activity.
Soon after inputs were received from the SFJ regarding the November 26 call for farmers on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attack in Mumbai, the national capital has been put on alert.
Earlier this year, the SFJ had made an announcement to hold its anti-India campaign, ‘Referendum-2020’, in November this year. ‘Referendum 2020’ seeks secession of Punjab from India.
The move followed inputs that the Sikh community across India has rejected the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sponsored propaganda of ‘Referendum-2020’. Pakistani intelligence agency ISI has been backing the malicious campaign launched by the SFJ as a large number of Pakistani Twitter handles have started tweeting in favour of the so-called ‘Referendum’.
Dubbing Sikhs in Kashmir as “freedom fighters and Sikh soldiers”, the US-based Khalistani radical outfit has urged them to support its most infamous agenda, ‘Referendum-2020’.
The group is already on the radar of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been taking action against its key leaders such as Pannun and many others. In the beginning of September, based on NIA’s inputs, the MHA had issued an order to attach the properties of Pannun and SFJ’s Canada coordinator Hardeep Singh Nijjar. — IANS
