KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
31-Jul-2020
India praised Canada for disavowing the Punjab Referendum 2020 campaign organized by the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). India believes that in clearly disavowing the referendum the Canadian Government has set a precedent that should be emulated by other countries, particularly in the West. A senior official said, “Canada taking a lead is good start,” adding that the position was that this stand now “put pressure” on others to follow suit.
30-Jul-2020
The Punjab government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that all websites being launched by outlawed Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) are being banned soon after they are noticed by the authorities. The court was also informed that 116 WhatsApp groups related to SFJ had been banned and 16 FIRs had been registered against the organisation.
30-Jul-2020
The Haryana government and the Centre also submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court that all the state authorities as well as the departments of the Union of India were aware of the threat posed by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and all possible steps to counter every anti-national activity were being resorted to.
30-Jul-2020
A Kapurthala court granted bail to a 65-year-old resident of Akala village of Bholath, identified as Joginder Singh Gujjar alias Goga, who had been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on July 2. Bholath Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jatinderjit Singh submitted that till today, no evidence had come to the light suggesting that the accused was a member of the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) or any other unlawful association. He also submitted that there was no evidence to prove that he had participated or propagated the activities of SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
29-Jul-2020
The Punjab government told Punjab and Haryana high court that it is blocking all sites that are being launched by the banned pro-Khalistan group, Sikh For Justice (SFJ). The state responded to fresh application filed by one Bikramjit Singh Bajwa, a Mohali resident, who had demanded that necessary steps be taken against the SFJ, which, he said, has suddenly become very active furthering the cause of separate state for Sikhs.
29-Jul-2020
The banned pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has planned to hold voter registration camps for its secessionist agenda 'Referendum 2020' on August 15 in front of Indian embassies in seven countries, including the US and the UK. Besides the group is learnt to have plans for similar camps in Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand when Indian embassies there will be celebrating India's Independence Day on August 15. Indian security agencies have warned embassies in these countries to be on alert.
29-Jul-2020
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he will do everything under the law as needed to protect the security and integrity of Punjab and of the nation, and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s threats could not deter him from ensuring the safety of his people. Pointing to the increasing attempts by Pakistan’s ISI to infiltrate terrorist modules and smuggle weapons into Punjab from across the border, the CM said his government was committed to taking whatever steps necessary, as per the law, to protect not just the state but India from these elements. There were forces bent on destabilising the nation by fomenting trouble and promoting the separatist ideology citing the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) Khalistani agenda. “Sukhbir should know that SFJ has been declared an unlawful organisation and its chief Gurpatwant Pannun had been designated a terrorist by the Indian government, and, as such, the police force of all states, including Punjab, were duty-bound to take all legal action to fight their attempts to subvert national security,” the CM said.
28-Jul-2020
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) condemned attempts to encroach upon a historic shrine dedicated to Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh in Pakistan and convert it into a mosque. SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal asked the Union Ministry to take up the matter with its counterpart across the border.
27-Jul-2020
The intelligence agencies warned that the designated terrorist outfit and pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has started targeting soldiers of the Sikh community in the Indian Army, threatening them to desert the force. They have alerted the armed forces and security establishments about the terrorist outfit’s nefarious activities. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been backing the malicious campaign launched by the SFJ. The SFJ is instigating Sikh defence personnel in the backdrop of the recent martyrdom of four Sikh soldiers in Ladakh sector during the recent clashes with Chinese troops at Line of Actual Control. The intelligence agencies also alerted that “Besides exploiting open social media platforms, the outfit is also using the encrypted chat platforms particularly WhatsApp for disseminating these inflammatory messages”. “The call is a pre-recorded one with the fwd number being+1 (617) 390-7018, likely to be belonging to Massachusetts, North America,” the agencies stated. SFJ members in the call are “motivating Sikh Indian soldiers not to get martyred for India”. They are inciting people by saying that India has a history of “not supporting Sikh people that is why they should leave Indian Army”. As per the message, Sikh people are being asked to join the ‘Sikhs For Justice’ campaign wherein on joining they will get Rs 5,000 more than their present salary in Indian Army.
27-Jul-2020
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh urged the Centre and Punjab government to stop arresting innocent Sikh youths in Punjab under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He said that, “There is a dire need to order an independent judicial inquiry in this regard as poor Dalit youths in Punjab were being targeted.” The Jathedar made the statement after meeting a deputation led by Bholath Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who sought his intervention into the “rampant” arrest of Sikh youths after allegedly implicating them in terror cases.
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.