India Slams Planned Khalistan Referendum In Canada’s Edmonton

NEW DELHI-India on October 9 strongly condemned all anti-India activities amid reports that the banned radical outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) plans to hold a so-called ‘Khalistan referendum’ in Edmonton, Canada, on October 18.

“We strongly condemn all anti-India activities,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing in New Delhi in response to a question about the planned event.

The planned referendum comes amid concerns over the activities of SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. In a video, Pannun called on diaspora Sikhs to participate in a so-called Khalistan referendum in Indianapolis, Indiana, and floated the idea of forming a “Sikh Homeland Security” force, also referred to as a Khalistan Army.

An August report by ‘Khalsa Vox’ raised concerns over videos reportedly showing Sikh men training with semi-automatic rifles in Canada. It warned that such developments could have serious consequences for the Sikh community.

The report also said Canadian intelligence had previously identified Khalistani extremists as a national security concern, arguing that inflammatory messaging followed by displays of force was a worrying pattern. (IANS)