CALGARY, CANADA: Veteran Khalistani leader and President of the Council of Khalistan Dr Bakhshish Singh Sandhu has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign to assassinate Sikhs in the Western countries reveals India’s role in transnational terrorism and oppression which warrants global sanctions.

In an interview ahead of the Khalistan Referendum voting on Sunday at the Municipal Plaza, the US-based physician said the Modi regime is desperate after seeing tens of thousands of Sikhs actively campaigning to form their homeland called Khalistan. 

He pointed out that evidence from Indian intelligence agency RAW’s death squad operator Nikhil Gupta and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, combined with Modi’s false terrorism allegations and threats against Sikhs, reveals India’s role in transnational terrorism against Sikhs.

Gupta is currently in the US custody, after extradition from Czech Republic, awaiting trial for hiring assassins to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

Sandhu, who has been active in the Khalistan campaign for nearly 50 years, added that despite Indian pressure, both the Canadian govt and the United States remain committed to democratic principles and aware about India’s intentions about Sikhs.

When asked about Indian involvement in transnational terrorism, which India denies, Sandhu stated that Modi has repeatedly and falsely publicly accused Sikhs of terrorism and boasts about targeting pro-Khalistan Sikh leaders wherever they reside, especially during the last election campaign where he vowed to kill Sikhs everywhere in the world in order to garner right-wing Hindutva base support.

Sandhu said the Indian government has set a bounty for revealing the whereabouts of pro-Khalistan leaders. This threatening rhetoric is being used in public gatherings and even in parliament, with vows to target pro-Khalistan leaders. 

“Sikhs are not hiding anywhere. They campaign freely, yet India put a bounty on the head of SFJ Canada chapter leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Pannun and dozens more in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia in open defiance of international law. 

“India did so to tell the world it’s a rogue state that believes in transnational terrorism. The problem for India is that Sikhs are peaceful, democratic and remain unafraid and unfazed by Indian terror attempts. We are aware that India is plotting further assassinations of Sikhs but will not be cowed at any cost till the creation of Khalistan,” he said.

When questioned about any reluctance from Canada and the United States to support Sikhs under Indian pressure, he stated that India has tried to coerce the US, Canada, and the UK into cancelling Khalistan Referendum venues and sought terror charges and cases against Sikhs under the Western laws. 

“Despite these attempts, the UK and the US have upheld their commitment to democracy and free speech, unlike India, which he criticised as a false democracy and a fascist regime that suppresses fundamental rights. These countries cannot do anything against Khalistani Sikhs because they are law-abiding and democratic. Everyone knows there is no value of India calling someone a terrorist,” he said.

Sandhu mentioned that thousands of Sikhs are eager to participate in the referendum being held in Calgary on July 28, as they want to contribute to the freedom struggle for Khalistan. He said that the passion among Sikhs for their separate homeland, Khalistan, is palpable and they will participate in the referendum in Calgary in record numbers. “Sikh participation in the ensuing referendum will break the previous records,” he said.

He said the assassination of Nijjar has united the Sikh nation, which is convinced of the need for freedom due to brutal treatment and threats of extrajudicial killings from the Indian government.

When asked about India’s efforts to eliminate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organisation, he explained that India aims to suppress the Sikh nation, hinder the referendum, recruit Sikh youth into the Indian army for potential conflict with China or Pakistan, and maintain control over Punjab’s natural resources.

He said Pannun is a shrewd leader leading the Khalistan movement and India is attempting to assassinate him to severely impact the freedom movement, as they view him as the key to the referendum’s success. 

“Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has his fingers on the pulse of the Sikh nation, he knows what Sikhs think, wish for and aspire. His actions are inspired by the Sikh wishes and the teachings of Sikh gurus who guided us for a separate homeland for Sikhs. Can you imagine how India tried to kill him through its agent Nikhil Gupta. The case against Gupta is strong and damning, with American investigative agencies having conducted a thorough and systematic inquiry backed by solid evidence,” he said.

The mayor of Calgary has said that the city council cannot stop Khalistan Referendum voting from going ahead on Sunday 28th of July after objections by the Indian govt that the group organising it is banned in India and therefore shouldn’t get permission to go ahead with the gathering that is set to attract thousands of pro-Khalistan Sikhs.

In an interview, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she doesn’t see the Khalistan voting as an issue as those involved are carrying out a legitimate, democratic exercise and it’s not for her office to sanction lawful events. 

She said: “The public is able to gather at the Municipal Plaza at any time. They can do what they wish to.”

The Khalistan Referendum voting campaign is being organised under the supervision of the independent Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC) which will announce the results when all phases are completed. 

The voting started on October 31, 2021 from London, UK and has so far been held in several countries and cities across the UK; Geneva Switzerland; Rome and Milan (Italy); Australian cities of Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney; American city of San Francisco and Sacramanto; Canadian cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Malton (Ontario), Surrey Vancouver (British Columbia) and now Calgary.