KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
05-May-2024
The Border Security Forces (BSF) troops on May 5 recovered a drone from the courtyard of an abandoned house in Hardo Ratan village in Amritsar district.
05-May-2024
The Border Security Forces (BSF) troops on May 5 recovered a drone from fields near Nestha village in Amritsar district.
05-May-2024
The Border Security Forces (BSF) troops on May 5 recovered a broken drone from fields near Haruwal village in Gurdaspur district.
04-May-2024
The Gharinda police on May 4 recovered 400 grams of heroin from fields, after receiving a tip-off from a local resident, Dilbagh Singh near Daoke village in Amritsar district. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against unidentified individuals, with ongoing investigations aimed at identifying the smugglers responsible for bringing the contraband from Pakistan.
04-May-2024
On May 4, a young man named Bakshish Singh was fatally beaten following an alleged act of sacrilege at the village gurdwara in Bandala village, Ferozepur district. Reports indicate that he entered the gurdwara and tore pages from the Guru Granth Sahib. Despite his reported mental health issues, Bakshish faced a severe beating from the crowd, leading to his tragic death. His father, Lakhwinder Singh, confirmed his son's mental health condition.
04-May-2024
The Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, speaking at an event in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on May 4, emphasized that the investigation into Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death is Canada’s internal matter and expressed concerns about organized crime from Punjab operating in Canada. He also attributed the situation in Canada to internal vote-bank politics, clarifying that the Indian government is not involved. India's High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that the issue is internal to Canada.
04-May-2024
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, on May 4 at an event in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, rejected Canadian allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. He attributed these allegations to Ottawa's internal politics and maintained that India hasn't received specific details from Canada regarding the case.
04-May-2024
The Border Security Forces (BSF) troops on May 4 recovered 416 grams of heroin and a broken drone from fields on the outskirts of Kalash village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a China-made DJI Mavic 3 classic.
03-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 3 recovered a drone from fields near Kalia village in Tarn Taran district. The drone was a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
03-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 3 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 460 grams and a small torch tied to it from a field adjacent to Hardo Ratan village in Amritsar district.
03-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 3 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 406 grams from fields near Sankatara village in Tarn Taran district.
03-May-2024
Police on May 3 arrested two individuals, identified as Mandeep Singh Billa, and seized 1.5 kg of opium and 29 kg of poppy husk from their possession in a truck (PB 04 AE 8805) on the outskirts of Dugri village along the Malerkotla-Khanna Road in Sangrur district.
03-May-2024
The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of the police on May 3 arrested Avtar Singh and seized 4 kg of ICE (Crystal methamphetamine) and 1 kg of heroin from his possession, near Bhindi Saidan village in Amritsar district. Avtar allegedly had connection with Pakistani smugglers, who reportedly used drones for delivery, underscores the cross-border nature of the drug trade. This marks the fourth significant ICE seizure in the border region in the past four months. Pakistani smugglers, facing a decline in opium production due to Taliban policies, appear to be substituting heroin with ICE, as indicated by recent seizures.
03-May-2024
According to experts, Amritpal Singh's candidacy for the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat in Tarn Taran district, Punjab, while being incarcerated in Dibrugarh jail, Assam, under the National Security Act (NSA), raises legal complexities despite no explicit prohibition by the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines. His previous stance against the Constitution conflicts with the oath-taking requirement for nomination, posing a significant hurdle. Moreover, procedural challenges, such as opening a bank account for election expenses in absentia and the absence of technical support like video-conferencing, present further obstacles. While past instances of jailed politicians winning elections offer precedents, recent procedural amendments may complicate matters.
03-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 3 recovered a packet containing 450 grams of heroin along with a drone from the outskirts of Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic quadcopter.
03-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 3 recovered a drone from fields near Nesta village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic quadcopter.
02-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint operation on May 2 recovered five small packets of heroin weighing 5.275 kg and a box containing 37 live cartridges in a bag, near Mode village in Amritsar district.
02-May-2024
Police on May 2 arrested four aides of Arsh Dala gang, identified as Himanshu Sekhon, Harmandeep Singh and Gurpiar Singh, along with a juvenile, and seized a .32-bore pistol, four cartridges, five cell phones, a scooter and a car from their possession, in Sri Muktsar Sahib in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
02-May-2024
On May 2, the 'Dilli Chalo' protest at Shambhu and Khanauri borders marked its 80th day, while the 'rail roko' demonstration by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) persisted for the 16th consecutive day at Shambhu railway station near Shambhu village in Patiala district. This protest resulted in the cancellation of 46 passenger trains from May 2 to 4, including major routes such as Jammu Mail and Kalka Express. Moreover, 100 trains were diverted, and four trains were short-terminated due to the ongoing demonstration, leading to logistical challenges and inconvenience for passengers.
01-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 1 recovered a pistol without a magazine, found inside a packet wrapped in yellow packing material with a metal ring attached to it, in fields near Kalsian village in Tarn Taran district.
01-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 1 recovered a packet containing about 570 grams of heroin, attached to a small drone, near Dhanoe khurd village in Amritsar district.
01-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 1 recovered a drone near Chauntra village in Gurdaspur district. The recovered drone was a China made drone.
01-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 1 recovered a drone near Dal village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a China made drone.
01-May-2024
Former diplomat Bhaswati Mukherjee, speaking with News9 on May 1, dismissed the notion of a Khalistan movement in India, emphasizing it as a Canadian issue, while suggesting that Khalistan sympathizer Jagmeet Singh may be pressuring Prime Minister Trudeau to support the Khalistan movement in Canada.
01-May-2024
According to analysts, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's participation in a Toronto rally supporting the Khalistani movement has exacerbated tensions with India. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned PM Trudeau's actions, especially the endorsement of separatist slogans during the event, highlighting Canada's perceived leniency towards separatism and extremism. The issue of Khalistan separatism has been a longstanding sensitive matter between India and Canada, amplified by Canada's sizable Sikh community and historical connections to the Khalistan movement. The persistent presence of Khalistani elements in Canada has additionally strained bilateral relations.