At a gathering in Canada on Sunday, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) terror outfit, issued threats against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and other top leaders of the country.
“This is a message to those who assassinated Hardeep Singh Nijjar. We are calling for your critical death...Modi, Jaishankar, (Ajit) Doval, (Amit) Shah, we are coming for you,” Pannun is purportedly heard saying in a video.
Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, wanted by the Indian government, was killed in a targeted shooting in Canada’s Surrey in June this year. A Khalistani referendum was organised in Surrey, Vancouver at the Guru Nanak Singh Gurudwara. The so-called referendum coincided with the concluding session of the G20 summit held in New Delhi and Pannu’s video was played at the event.
At the event attended reportedly by an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people, Pannu gave a provocative speech against India and spoke of “Balkanising” the nation. Pannu’s radical exhortation came on a day Prime Minister Narednra Modi raised concern over anti-India activities in Canada with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau who was on the weekend for the G20 summit.
In his recent talks with Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, PM Narendra Modi had raised concerns about anti-India activities of extremist elements in that country. “PM Modi conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada.
They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Meanwhile, when asked about extremist activities in Canada, Justin Trudeau said that his country will always defend freedom of peaceful protest, but at the same time asserted that it will always prevent violence and push back against hatred.
