Ahead of the 72nd Republic Day ‘Sikhs For Justice’ (SFJ) a US-based secessionist group that supports the secession of Punjab from India as Khalistan gave a call to the Punjab farmers protesting at Singhu border to raise Khalistan flag at India Gate on January 26 and receive a reward of USD 250,000.
Assuring full logistical support, SFJ also gave a call to Punjab farmers to take out a parallel “Kesri” Tractor Rally in defiance of India’s Republic Day parade to mark their resistance against Modi Government’s agricultural reform bills.
Citing UN Refugee Convention of 1951, SFJ also announced that farmers who will raise the Khalistan flag at India Gate will be provided legal assistance in resettlement as refugees in the United Kingdom. The Refugee Convention provides for the permanent resettlement with family to anyone who faces persecution from the government in his home country for expressing political opinion such as raising the Khalistan flag.
Reminding the Modi Government of the famous statement by US President John F. Kenney that “those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”, SFJ General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in his video message stated that “Punjab Farmers protest and Khalistan referendum are peaceful campaigns but arrogant denial and violent suppression of these campaigns by the Indian government could spiral into cycle of violence”.
It is to be noted that the National Investigation agency had last month revealed that the US-based SFJ has been spreading anti-India sentiments among the Sikh community in the Indian Army. The NIA charge sheet named seven accused from the US, six from the UK and three from Canada who were part of an organised conspiracy.
The central government Tuesday, January 12, during the hearing on pleas challenging the constitutional validity of farm laws, in Supreme Court claimed that ‘Khalistanis’ have infiltrated the ongoing farmers’ protest on Delhi borders.
The claim made by Attorney General K K Venugopal came in response when the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde enquired about the charges by one of the parties that a banned outfit, ‘Sikhs for Justice’, was aiding the protests.
“We have been informed there is a Khalistani infiltration in the protests,” the Attorney General said in response, adding that he will file an affidavit along with the necessary inputs of the intelligence bureau (IB).
