In a dangerous escalation of threats against India, US-based Khalistani separatist and chief of the proscribed organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has asked in his latest hate speech whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval “have 24/7 security blanket”.
Calling them the “axis of evil”, Pannun threatened they should be “ready to face consequences” and mentioned the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada the firing of the “first bullet” by India. Marking 180 days since Nijjar’s murder, Pannun boasted about the show of violence by Khalistani sympathisers in Vancouver.
The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September over the killing of Nijjar in June in the Canadian town of Surrey. Weeks later, the US, too, alleged an Indian link to a conspiracy to kill Pannun. India has strongly rejected the allegations.
New Delhi has also repeatedly flagged threats by Khalistani elements and violent demonstrations against India on its soil to Canadian authorities, but to no avail.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said earlier that India has taken up with the US and Canada the recent threats made against India by Pannun.
Pannun had last month released a video threatening passengers of Air India flights on November 19. He had also issued threats to attack India’s Parliament.
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