In a concerning development, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit, an extreme Khalistani openly issued a death threat against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in Canada. This alarming incident coincided with the G20 Summit and has heightened concerns about the presence of Khalistani extremists in Canada.
Pannun made these threatening remarks during a referendum held at the Guru Nanak Singh Gurudwara in Surrey, Vancouver, on September 10. In a widely circulated video on social media, he openly threatened the ‘political death’ of not only PM Modi but also Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in India.
In the video, Pannun can also be heard saying, “Delhi will become Khalistan,” as the crowd at the public gathering chants, “Dilli banega Khalistan.”
He went further, stating, “This is a message to those who assassinated Hardeep Singh Nijjar. We are calling for your critical death…(PM) Modi, Jaishankar, (Ajit) Doval, (Amit) Shah, we are coming for you.”
The referendum was organized following the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was wanted by the Indian government, in a targeted shooting in Surrey, Canada, in June of the same year. Nijjar was the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was listed as a designated terrorist by India. He was found dead with bullet wounds in a car in the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib, of which he was the head, in Surrey.
This incident has exacerbated tensions between India and Canada, particularly in light of the rising activities of Khalistani extremists in Canada. During the recently concluded G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Khalistani extremism with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau. These concerns have caused diplomatic tensions, with India expressing strong concerns about continuing extremist anti-India activities in Canada. Canada, on its part, has asserted its commitment to protecting the right to ‘peaceful protests’ within its territory by the Indian diaspora.
