KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
27-Jul-2020
India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan against attempts allegedly being made to convert a historic Sikh Gurudwara into a Mosque at the Naulakha bazaar in Lahore. India ‘expressed its concerns in the strongest terms’ over an incident where an attempt was allegedly made to convert the Gurudwara ‘Shahidi Asthan’ - the site of the "martyrdom of Bhai Taru Singh ji" in 1745 - into the Masjid Shahid Ganj in Lahore. New Delhi said that the Gurudwara “is a place of reverence and considered sacred by the Sikh community” and that “this incident has been viewed with grave concern in India”.
27-Jul-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized two plastic bottles containing around 1.5 kg of heroin from Ferozepur sector in Ferozepur district. According to BSF, the smugglers were trying to push the consignment across the Indian territory along the zero line in Ferozepur sector, but their attempt was thwarted by the BSF troops.
27-Jul-2020
The members of the SAD (Amritsar), along with other Sikh organisations held a protest march against the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for interfering in the state over the Referendum 2020. They were protesting against the suicide committed by the Sangrur youth at Amb Sahib Gurudwara on July 13, after he was summoned by the NIA.
27-Jul-2020
Police arrested a drugs peddler, identified as Naveen Kumar and recovered 20 grams of heroin from his possession in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
26-Jul-2020
A day after India welcomed Canada's decision to reject 'Referendum 2020', the banned secessionist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) launched a portal from Canadian cyberspace to kickstart voter registration for the Khalistan Referendum in Jammu and Kashmir. The landing page of portal www.Canada4Referendum2020.ca conspicuously displays the red and white national flag of Canada merging with Khalistan flag. However, intelligence agencies claimed, they could not find any support to the SFJ's announcement which claimed to give Rs 2,000 to every novel coronavirus infected persons in the Valley irrespective of their religion. Earlier, SFJ had used a similar Canadian portal to propagate its anti-India agenda in Delhi to demand Khalistan, on July 19 but it failed because of action taken by Indian law enforcement agencies. A similar activity regarding referendum 2020 voter registration in Punjab on July 4 was also foiled by the agencies.
26-Jul-2020
The national spokesperson of the Akali Dal Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that injustice is being meted out to the Sikh community as the site of the martyrdom of Bhai Taru Singh ji at Naulakha Bazaar in Lahore, Pakistan is being claimed as the place of Masjid Shahid Ganj. “Sikhs even when they are the most humanitarian community are called Goonda by mischievous extremist elements in Pak who refuse to honour History,” Sirsa tweeted. He appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to warn such extremist elements in Pakistan and take immediate action to save the Shaheedi Asthaan from illegal squatters.
26-Jul-2020
India welcomed the first group of 11 members of the Sikh and Hindu minority community of Afghanistan, including Nidan Singh Sachdeva who was recently released from captivity. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, in a tweet, that the Indian government was "facilitating the return of Hindu and Sikh community members seeking permanent residency and citizenship in India".
25-Jul-2020
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh welcomed Canada's decision to not recognise the results of the 'Referendum 2020' which is organised by Pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). The CM is hoping other countries would follow Canada's example and reject the secessionist 'Referendum 2020', which the SFJ was promoting to divide India into communal lines. CM also said that the categorical stand taken by the Justin Trudeau government on this issue is exemplary. He hopes other nations and governments should come out, and be against SFJ as well—which has been banned by India as a terrorist organisation. He added that failing to oppose the separatist SFJ organisation could set a dangerous precedent for any country, this could be seen as covert support to an organisation that would freely be propagating secessionist activities.
25-Jul-2020
A day ahead of launching voter registration in Jammu and Kashmir for its online 'Referendum 2020' campaign, the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) group has activated a direct hotline from United States (US) to woo people in the Valley infected with Covid-19. Intelligence agencies issued alerts across Jammu and Kashmir soon after the information leaked that the secessionist group has announced to give Rs 2,000 to every novel coronavirus infected persons in the Valley irrespective of their religion. According to sources, SFJ has offered financial support for four days between July 25 and July 28, an attempt to gain sympathy from residents of Jammu and Kashmir for its illegal 'Referendum 2020' agenda. In its message to people of Jammu and Kashmir, who are affected by the coronavirus, the SFJ has asked them to contact the group at its Covid-19 Hotline via WhatsApp on +19175796400 or email at [email protected] to get the aid.
25-Jul-2020
Police arrested two drugs smugglers, identified as Arvinder Singh and Romesh Singh and recovered 19500 intoxicant capsules and 110 intoxicant tablets from them near Adampur in Jalandhar district.
25-Jul-2020
Haryana Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) president Sant Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal alleged that Pakistan is carrying out genocide of Sikh youth in Punjab and Haryana by smuggling drugs and narcotics into India through the international border. He said, “Drug trafficking from across the border is a serious issue as it is a deliberate attempt to carry out the genocide of our youth, especially those living in the states bordering Pakistan.” “Our youth are getting physically and mentally ill. We will work on a war footing in association with other social welfare organisations to eradicate the menace of drugs. I have been working in this field for the past 25 years and with this additional responsibility I will intensity this mission,” he added.
24-Jul-2020
The Tarn Taran police have frozen assets worth around Rs 81 crores of as many as 75 narcotics smugglers including cross border smugglers within a year’s period. The senior superintendent of police (SSP), Dhruv Dahiya informed that following clearance from the center’s revenue department, district police had frozen assets of 75 smugglers worth around Rs 81.21 lakhs. He informed that police froze property of notorious smugglers Jagjit Singh, residents of Sheron village and Balwinder Singh, resident of Havelian village worth around Rs 11 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively.
24-Jul-2020
The state government stated that Punjab Police has busted an inter-state drug cartel operating in more than 50 districts spread across 11 states of the country, using the hawala channel route. As many as 20 persons have already been arrested with a huge cache of drugs, drug proceeds-money and five vehicles, in an operation that spanned over eight weeks. Of the 20 people arrested so far, 16 are from Punjab, two from UP and one each from Haryana and Delhi.
24-Jul-2020
The Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) along with the Mohali police arrested five hardcore gangsters, including Navdeep Singh, alias Johan Buttar, after a brief encounter at Aman Homes, Kharar in SAS Nagar district. The police also recovered six weapons, including two 9-mm pistols, a .30 bore pistol, a .32 bore pistol, two .315 bore pistols and 20 cartridges from them.
23-Jul-2020
According to Intelligence inputs, the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) group have been trying to establish a base in Jammu and Kashmir. It said that the outfit recently gave a call for Sikhs residing in the valley to support its online 'Referendum 2020' campaign, which seeks secession of Punjab from India. After it's failed attempts at getting support for 'Referendum 2020' voter registration in Punjab and Delhi, the SFJ's next target is Jammu and Kashmir, where it plans to launch voter registration for the illegal campaign on July 26.
23-Jul-2020
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that there has been a recent spurt of attacks on Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan by terrorists at the behest of their “external supporters” and India has been providing necessary visas to members of these communities who want to come. The MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said once those who want to come and settle in India arrive in the country, their requests will be examined and acted upon based on existing rules and policies.
22-Jul-2020
According to sources, due to increase in attacks on minorities in Afghanistan by Pakistan-based terror organisations, India has decided to issue long term visa to 700 people from such minority communities who are stuck in the war-torn country. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has cleared issuance of 'long term India visa and facilitate their travel to New Delhi'. "India will facilitate the return of over 700 Afghan Hindus & Sikhs after the minorities faced several terror attacks and persecution by Pakistan-backed terror groups," said the source.
22-Jul-2020
Special Task Force (STF) arrested a policeman, Rajwinder Singh along with his wife Kuldeep Kaur and son Harpreet Singh along with 121-gram heroin during a special checking at Bathinda-Goniana national highway in Bhokhra village in Bathinda district.
22-Jul-2020
Police arrested a narcotic smuggler, identified as Jugraj Singh resident and recovered 1.10 Kg of heroin from his possession near Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district. Police also recovered one 32 Bore Pistol, one magazine and seven live cartridges from the possession of the arrested narcotic smuggler.
22-Jul-2020
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Surjeet Singh Deswal, expressing his appreciation for the seizure of a huge cache of drugs by the personnel of BSF’s 10th Battalion in Gurdaspur sector. The CM also recommended that all members of the BSF team involved in the recent seizure of 60 kg of heroin should be rewarded for their success. The BSF on July 19 had seized 60 kg of heroin from the Ravi river that flows along the India-Pakistan international border in Gurdaspur.
22-Jul-2020
The US-based banned pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) started to mobilise the people from the Sikh community to register for the referendum scheduled for July 26 in Jammu and Kashmir. In a video message, the SFJ co-founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun asked members of the Sikh community and the sympathisers of another terrorist organisation Indian Mujahedeen to register for a vote on the referendum on July 26.
22-Jul-2020
The Dal Khalsa demanded judicial inquiry into the suicide of Sangrur boy Lovepreet Singh under mysterious circumstances at Gurdwara Amb Sahib after he was questioned by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
20-Jul-2020
Police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Rajesh Kumar and Rijwan and recovered 3 kg of opium from their possession in Khanna in Ludhiana district.
20-Jul-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized three packets of contraband, weighing over 3 kg heroin, in Abohar sector near the Indo-Pak border in Fazilka district.
20-Jul-2020
Punjab Police arrested an Army soldier and three others for their involvement in illegal arms and drug smuggling. Earlier a racket was busted last week in which a Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers and three others were nabbed by the Jalandhar (Rural) police. Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said Ramandeep Singh, who is a soldier, was apprehended from Bareilly in UP, on the basis of disclosures made by BSF Constable Sumit Kumar. He said three aides of Ramandeep, including Taranjot Singh alias Tanna, Jagjit Singh alias Laddi and Satinder Singh alias Kala would be brought on production warrants. Around Rs 10 lakh has been recovered from Kala thus taking the total amount seized to Rs 42.30 lakh.