CALGARY, CANADA: Veteran Khalistani leader and Chairman of the Khalistan Council, Dr Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to kill Sikhs in Western countries reveals India's role in transnational terrorism and oppression that justifies global sanctions.
In an interview ahead of the Khalistan referendum vote on Sunday at Municipal Plaza, the US-based doctor said the Modi regime is desperate after seeing tens of thousands of Sikhs actively campaigning to form their homeland called Khalistan.
He said evidence from Indian intelligence agency RAW hit squad operator Nikhil Gupta and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, combined with Modi's false terrorism allegations and threats against Sikhs, reveal India's role in transnational terrorism against Sikhs.
Gupta is currently in US custody after being extradited from the Czech Republic, awaiting trial for hiring assassins to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
Sandhu, who has been actively involved in the Khalistan campaign for nearly 50 years, added that despite Indian pressure, both the Canadian and US governments remain committed to democratic principles and aware of India's intentions regarding the Sikhs.
Asked about India's involvement in transnational terrorism, something India denies, Sandhu claimed that Modi has publicly, repeatedly and falsely accused Sikhs of terrorism and boasts of attacking pro-Khalistan Sikh leaders wherever they reside, especially during the last election campaign, where he promised to kill Sikhs across the world to gain support from the right-wing Hindutva base.
Sandhu said the Indian government has put a reward on revealing the whereabouts of pro-Khalistan leaders. This threatening rhetoric is being used in public meetings and even in parliament, with promises to target pro-Khalistan leaders.
“Sikhs are not hiding anywhere. They campaign freely, but India has put a price on the heads of SFJ’s Canadian chapter leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Pannun and dozens of others in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, in open defiance of international law.
“India did this to tell the world that it is a rogue state that believes in transnational terrorism. The problem for India is that Sikhs are peaceful, democratic and do not fear or flinch from Indian terrorist attempts. We are aware that India is planning more killings of Sikhs but it will not be intimidated at any cost until Khalistan is created,” he said.
Asked about Canada and the US's reluctance to support Sikhs under pressure from India, he said India has tried to force the US, Canada and the UK to cancel the Khalistan referendum venues and has sought terrorism charges and cases against Sikhs under Western laws.
“Despite these attempts, the UK and the US have remained committed to democracy and freedom of expression, unlike India, which they criticised as a fake democracy and a fascist regime that suppresses fundamental rights. These countries cannot do anything against the Khalistani Sikhs because they are law-abiding and democratic. Everyone knows that there is no value in India calling anyone a terrorist,” he said.
Sandhu mentioned that thousands of Sikhs are eager to participate in the referendum to be held in Calgary on July 28 as they want to contribute to the freedom struggle of Khalistan. He said that the passion among Sikhs for their independent homeland Khalistan is palpable and they will participate in the referendum in Calgary in record numbers. “The Sikh participation in the upcoming referendum will break previous records,” he said.
He said the killing of Nijjar has united the Sikh nation, which is convinced of the need for freedom in the face of brutal treatment and threats of extrajudicial killings by the Indian government.
Asked about India's efforts to remove Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organization, explained that India aims to suppress the Sikh nation, obstruct the referendum, recruit Sikh youth into the Indian Army for a possible conflict with China or Pakistan, and maintain control over Punjab's natural resources.
He said Pannun is a cunning leader leading the Khalistan movement and India is trying to assassinate him to severely affect the freedom movement as they see him as the key to the success of the referendum.
“Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has the pulse of the Sikh nation, he knows what Sikhs think, desire and aspire for. His actions are inspired by Sikh desires and the teachings of Sikh Gurus who guided us towards a separate homeland for Sikhs. Can you imagine how India tried to kill him through its agent Nikhil Gupta? The case against Gupta is strong and damning and the US investigative agencies have conducted a thorough and systematic investigation backed by strong evidence,” he said.
Calgary's mayor has said city council cannot prevent the Khalistan referendum vote from going ahead on Sunday, July 28, after objections from the Indian government that the group organizing it is banned in India and therefore should not be given permission to go ahead with the rally that will attract thousands of pro-Khalistan Sikhs.
In an interview, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she does not see the Khalistan vote as a problem as those involved are carrying out a legitimate and democratic exercise and it is not up to her office to sanction legal events.
She said: “The public can gather at the Municipal Plaza at any time. They can do whatever they want.”
The Khalistan referendum voting campaign is being organised under the supervision of the independent Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC), which will announce the results once all phases are completed.
Voting began on October 31, 2021 from London, UK and has so far been held in several countries and cities in the UK; Geneva, Switzerland; Rome and Milan (Italy); the Australian cities of Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney; the US cities of San Francisco and Sacramanto; the Canadian cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Malton (Ontario), Surrey, Vancouver (British Columbia) and now Calgary.
