KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
The Indian Union Ministry of Home Affairs has upgraded the security of the nation's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Z category, after a Khalistani group in Canada put up posters labelling the minister and two others, 'enemies of Canada'. As per reports, some posters also call for his assassination.
The posters feature images of Jaishankar, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Indian high commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma.
These posters were put up by a Khalistani group called Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on Tuesday, reports Hindustan Times.
Indian EAM Jaishankar will now be guarded by the VIP security wing of the Central Reserve Security Force (CRPF), which guards around 176 people in the country. His protection detail will consist of 22 personnel, including 4-6 NSG commandos and police personnel.
The report further cites a Delhi Police officer, who, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that police had also received inputs of threats to Jaishankar from separatist groups.
As per the report, the posters also announce that a 'referendum' over the carving out of a separate state of "Khalistan" out of India will be held outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Surrey, British Columbia.
The Gurudwara is where Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by unidentified men on June 18th.
This comes as Khalistani extremist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in a video threatened India of a Hamas-like attack.
Pannun, a designated terrorist under India's Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), can be heard saying: "People under illegal occupation from Punjab to Palestine will react. And violence begets violence."
He further addresses the Indian PM and said: "Modi, learn from Israel-Palestine conflict... If India is going to keep occupying Punjab, there will be a reaction and, Modi and India, you will be responsible. SFJ believes in ballot. SFJ believes in vote. Liberation of Punjab is on the cards."
Calls for 'referendum'
Quoting people in the know, the Indian media publication reports that the referendum will be held in Vancouver on October 29. Before that, on October 21, a protest is slated to be launched from Surrey to the Indian consulate in Vancouver.
A sign outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple is seen after the killing on its grounds in June 2023 of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia.
Reportedly, similar poster previously called for the assassination of Indian high commission to Canada Sanjay Verma and consul generals Manish and Apoorva Srivastava.