The National Investigation Agency has summoned controversial pro-Khalistan organizations such as ‘Khalsa Aid’ and several persons including an alleged farmer leader and an actor having links to Khalistani networks to appear before them for questioning in connection with the ‘Sikhs For Justice Referendum’ case.
According to the reports, the National Investigation Agency has called around 40 persons to be examined as ‘witnesses’ in a fresh case registered against the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a foreign-based group that advocates secessionist and pro-Khalistani activities in India.
The NIA has summoned include officials of the controversial pro-Khalistan group ‘Khalsa Aid’ and also actor Deep Sidhu, who has time-and-again openly expressed his support to the Khalistan movement.
Khalsa Aid is another shady organisation that is suspected to be a front organisation for the Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The NIA had registered a case in this regard in December 2012, alleging that Khalsa Aid was suspected to be one of the organisations linked to the BKI funding the Indian BKI members to commit terror acts in the country.
Recently, Khalsa Aid had set up massage centers at the farmers’ protests in makeshift spaces at the Singhu border raising suspicions that the protests might be a well-thought-out conspiracy by the secessionists to revive Khalistani sentiments by engendering resentment among people against the Modi government.
Babbar Khalsa intends to create an independent Sikh state in India through violent means and is responsible for several terror attacks in the country resulting in many civilian deaths. The Trump administration had declared BKI a threat to American interests.
NIA issues summons to Deep Sidhu, UK based journalist
Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and another Khalistani sympathizer Baldev Singh Sirsa are among 40 people summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for questioning in the SFJ case.
The actor, who has backed the protest against the center’s agriculture laws, has been asked to appear before the anti-terrorism agency at its Delhi. Deep Sidhu, who came to the limelight during the ongoing protests, had openly flaunted his admiration for the Khalistani movement.
In addition to Deep Sidhu, the NIA has summoned a UK-based television journalist Jasveer Singh Muktsar to appear for questioning on January 18. The NIA has also called Baldev Singh Sirsa, the president of the Lok Bhalai Insaf Welfare Society, one of the organizers of the ‘farmer’ protestors in the national capital.
NIA files charge-sheet in Sikh Referendum case
Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had filed charge-sheet against 16 accused associated with the Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikh for Justice (SFJ) in Referendum-2020.
The NIA investigation in the case had revealed that Sikhs For Justice was nothing but a terror group that operates with the support of Pakistan’s ISI and has offices in various foreign countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia etc. The NIA had disclosed that SFJ propagates secession and also instigates enmity on the grounds of region and religion to radicalise impressionable youth and to cause disturbance to peace and harmony and to raise funds for terrorist activities.
The terror organisation SFJ has been attempting to undermine the security of the Indian State by instigating Sikh personnel in the Indian army to rise up in mutiny against India. SFJ is also trying to radicalize youth of Kashmir and openly extending support for the secession of Kashmir from India, the NIA had disclosed.
SFJ links to the farmers’ protests in India
The farmers’ protest saw participation from pro-Khalistani elements. Several ‘farmers’ resorted to violence and worrying slogans, supporting Khalistan were also raised. With pro-Khalistan and anti-Indian slogans being raised during the ‘farmer protest’ along the Haryana-Punjab border, questions were also being raised over the alleged involvement of SFJ in instigating Punjab farmers to protest against the Modi government under the pretext that the three farm bills are ‘anti-farmer’ in nature.
The SFJ collusion indicated the involvement of pro-Khalistan elements to hijack these farmer protest.
It is important to note that the Khalistan organization SFJ, funded by Pakistan, had earlier declared a grant of $1 million for farmers in Punjab and Haryana in lieu of their support for Khalistan.
Deep Sidhu, Akalis cry foul
Actor Deep Sidhu, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukbhir Singh Badal, have accused the government of trying to ‘intimidate’ the protestors.
The matter pertains to the December 15, 2020 FIR registered after a complaint by the MHA which stated that SFJ “and other Khalistani terrorist outfits including but not limited to Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Tiger Force and Khalistan Zindabad Force” along with their frontal organizations, have entered into a conspiracy to “create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness and to cause disaffection in people and to incite them towards rising in rebellion” against the Government of India.”
As per the FIR, huge funds are collected abroad for the campaign and propaganda. “These campaigns are being spearheaded by designated terrorists – Pannu, Pamma, Nijjer and others,” the FIR read. As per the FIR, large amounts of funds so collected are being sent through non-government Organizations to pro-Khalistani elements based in India, to undertake terrorist acts and to strike terror in the people of India.