KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
03-Jun-2024
In anticipation of the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, the Punjab Police have heightened security measures, particularly in Amritsar. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Satinder Singh have overseen security arrangements due to concerns over potential unrest from calls for an Amritsar Bandh by Dal Khalsa on June 6 and a march on June 5. With recent developments, including actions by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and political campaigning, intelligence officials remain vigilant to maintain peace during the commemoration. Bhullar assured that elaborate security measures, including the deployment of 4,000 police officers and paramilitary forces, are in place to prevent any disturbances in the holy city.
02-Jun-2024
The 77th birth anniversary of Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, former head of the Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal, was commemorated on a large scale in Rode village in Bagha Purana Tehsil, Moga district, on June 2. Leaders from various Sikh organizations attended the event to pay tribute.
02-Jun-2024
In a joint operation on June 2, the Bhiwani police and the Navi Mumbai police arrested one member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang who was allegedly involved in the plot to kill Bollywood star Salman Khan, identified as Deepak alias Johnny from Bhiwani in Bhiwani district in Haryana. Deepak, who had been living in Mumbai for about two decades, was arrested in Bhiwani, Haryana, where he had returned apparently to evade police scrutiny. He was reportedly assigned the task of providing a vehicle to execute the plot. The Navi Mumbai police will further interrogate him in connection with the case.
02-Jun-2024
Following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections, on June 2, Punjab farmers resumed their "Kisan Andolan 2.0" by marching back towards the Shambhu interstate border between Punjab and Haryana on their tractor-trailers, near Shambhu village in Patiala district, Punjab.
01-Jun-2024
The Navi Mumbai police on June 1 arrested four members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang for allegedly plotting an attack on actor Salman Khan at his Panvel farmhouse, identified as Dhananjay Tapesingh alias Ajay Kashyap, Gaurav Bhatia alias Nahvi, Vaspi Khan alias Waseem Chikna, and Rizwan Khan alias Javed Khan, in Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra. The police revealed the four were in touch with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi.
01-Jun-2024
Punjab witnessed largely peaceful polling for its 13 Lok Sabha seats on June 1, recording a 61.32% turnout compared to 70.63% in 2014 and 65.94% in 2019. The election saw no alliances between major parties, resulting in four-cornered contests, with the presence of radical leaders making some contests five-cornered.
31-May-2024
The Meta quarterly report of May 2024 revealed China's interference in Indian and Sikh affairs, leading to the removal of 37 Facebook accounts, 13 pages, five groups, and nine Instagram accounts linked to coordinated inauthentic behaviour targeting the global Sikh community, including in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria. This network also targeted platforms like Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) with fake accounts posting manipulated content about Sikh issues and criticism of the Indian government. Indian security agencies suggest this may involve a joint China-Pakistan operation.
31-May-2024
Simranjit Singh Mann, a hard-line member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) (SAD-A) and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) for Sangrur in Punjab, has been campaigning for the 2024 elections with a focus on Sikh identity, Khalistan, and the release of Bandi Sikhs. His platform includes addressing the drug menace, opening trade routes with Pakistan, and tackling gangster culture, while invoking the legacy of figures like Sikh militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Sidhu Moosewala. Mann, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, resigned in protest of Operation Blue Star and has been an advocate for Sikh separatism and identity.
31-May-2024
Punjab's Lok Sabha elections coincide with the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, underscoring the state's search for a strong Sikh leader following the tenures of Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal. Candidates with pro-separatist views, such as Simranjit Singh Mann from Sangrur and jailed Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh from Khadoor Sahib, are gaining traction amid rising anti-establishment sentiments, especially after the farmers' protests. The inability of mainstream parties to address the drug menace has also fuelled support for these radical figures.
31-May-2024
Gurnam Singh, brother of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassin Satwant Singh, rejects any political ambitions for his family, focusing instead on community service through their memorial at his home in Agwan village in Gurdaspur district. Despite the rising popularity of radical candidates like Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa and Amritpal Singh, Gurnam emphasizes their family's respect among the masses, adhering to advice from the sangat to avoid politics. The village, politically diverse, shows no unified support for any party, though local sentiment seems to favor Congress candidate Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa for the Gurdaspur seat.
31-May-2024
According to reports, several citizens in Punjab received a recorded message from Khalistani terrorist and Sikh For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, threatening explosions at locations in Punjab where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallies. The threatened locations include Gurdaspur, Patiala, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur in Punjab. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Arpit Shukla confirmed the messages but assured that security measures are being intensified to neutralize any threats ahead of the June 1 polls.
31-May-2024
According to reports, during the Model Code of Conduct for the general elections, the Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered or brought down about 60 drones along the India-Pakistan border, primarily in Punjab. Punjab, with 13 Lok Sabha seats, will vote on June 1.
31-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 31 conducted a search operation based on intelligence input and recovered 290 grams of heroin, a 9 mm pistol, and three rounds near Dode village in Tarn Taran district.
31-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on May 31 recovered a drone from fields near Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran district.
31-May-2024
On May 31, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, emphasizing the severe impact of the drug menace in Punjab, called for stringent measures to combat it. Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu, while hearing a bail petition, highlighted that the state has been significantly affected by drugs and stressed caution in granting bail under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The petitioner was accused based on a co-accused's disclosure, with the recovery involving a commercial quantity of heroin.
31-May-2024
The Crime Branch of the UT police on May 31 arrested a moneylender associated with Javed Jhinjha, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, identified as Jagtar Singh alias Tony and seized INR 12.31 lakh, a country-made pistol, a laptop, and a diary containing records of loans from his possession in Chandigarh.
30-May-2024
The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on May 30 arrested Vishal alias Ghaisal, a sharpshooter of the Tillu-Tajpuria gang, near the Bhalswa Jheel area in North West Delhi district. Vishal had been instructed by jailed gang leaders to eliminate rivals and had previously been involved in a failed murder plot. He had also received arms and money to continue gang activities before his arrest.
30-May-2024
Balkaur Singh, the father of the late singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala, while campaigning for Congress Candidate Sher Singh Ghubaya in Malout, Sri Muktsar Sahib district on May 30, expressed outrage over gangsters mocking his son's second death anniversary. He accused the state government of facilitating such acts and highlighted the presence of smartphones in jails. Balkaur also alleged government support for gangsters like Lawrence Bishnoi, who reportedly earns millions monthly from jail. He urged voters to establish the rule of law.
30-May-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on May 30 intercepted a drone and recovered a packet of methamphetamine weighing 540 grams from farming fields near CB Chand village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
30-May-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on May 30 intercepted a drone and recovered a packet of methamphetamine weighing 520 grams along with the drone near farming fields in Kalsian village in Tarn Taran district. The drone recovered was identified as a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
30-May-2024
On May 30, campaigning for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections ended. Punjab is scheduled to vote on June 1, with a four-way contest between the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prominent hardliner Khalistan supporters, including Simranjit Singh Mann and Amritpal Singh, have avoided directly raising the Khalistan issue. The election discourse in Punjab is also influenced by the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, with many posters and appeals to voters focusing on the 1984 military action.
30-May-2024
Meta's inaugural ‘Adversaries Threat Report’ revealed the removal of 37 Facebook accounts, 13 Pages, 5 Groups, and 9 Instagram accounts linked to a China-originated network targeting the global Sikh community. This network, using fake accounts and AI-generated content, aimed to incite pro-Khalistan sentiment and had previously targeted India and Tibet. Additionally, this network aimed to criticize the Indian government and spread coordinated inauthentic information across multiple countries.
30-May-2024
The President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, recently condemned the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which took place in Samrala, Ludhiana district, Punjab, and called for severe punishment for the culprits. He criticized the government's lack of serious action against repeated blasphemy incidents in Punjab. Dhami urged Gurdwaras to enhance security measures, including CCTV monitoring and regular checks on electrical appliances, to prevent accidents.
30-May-2024
Spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed on May 30 in New Delhi that the Czech Republic's top court has dismissed Nikhil Gupta's petition to stop his extradition to the United States (US). Gupta was arrested for an alleged plot to assassinate US-based Khalistani terrorist and the chief of the Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
30-May-2024
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, while addressing an election rally at the Ramlila ground in Hoshiarpur district, Punjab, on May 30, announced that Adampur airport would be named after Guru Ravidas. He also emphasized the government's future plans, including a roadmap for the first 125 days focused on youth and a long-term vision.