The arrest of Inderjeet Singh Gosal in Canada marks a significant step by the authorities to crack down on Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Gosal, who is the chief coordinator of the outlawed SFJ in Canada, was instrumental in organizing various referendums meant to muster support for an independent Khalistan state hived off from Punjab.
Indian agencies have been continuously sharing intelligence with Canadian agencies. While intelligence exchanges in the past were on outfits such as Babbar Khalsa International, focus is now squarely on the SFJ.
Indian officials have pointed out that, in contrast to Babbar Khalsa International, the SFJ might not be involved in armed conflict. But with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun at the helm, the outfit is found to be far more potent.
The SFJ is the propaganda wing of the Khalistan movement, framing its own cause in the eyes of the world. Its widespread presence on social media has been used to disseminate disinformation and anti-India propaganda successfully.
Most of its operations center on the creation of the nation of Khalistan. The organization has consistently targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even making calls for his assassination. The SFJ has also sought to infiltrate India's farmers' protests, trying to radicalize Sikh participants and urge them to resort to taking up arms against the Indian government.
In several talks between Indian and Canadian agencies, both parties have accepted the threat posed by the SFJ. In Canada, the outfit has been working hard to radicalize the Sikh population, but only a limited number have been affected. Still, government officials from both countries agree that even this subset could disturb public order and spread extremist ideologies.
India complained to Ottawa that Khalistan supporters were employing Canada as a staging point to organize operations inside India. Joint dossiers detail the SFJ's planning with other terrorist groups and criminal networks to carry out targeted assassinations and terror attacks. Canadian officials, on the other hand, fear the spillover of violence onto Canadian territory.
The SFJ has misleadingly asserted the support of Canadian authorities. After Gosal's arrest, the organization admitted the news but misrepresented the fact that the case, which was officially related to firearms, was really about "the Canadian government's responsibility to ensure the life of a Canadian citizen." The SFJ also asserted the action was taken to protect him from purported imminent harm by the Indian government.
Earlier, the SFJ had brought up the case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Babbar Khalsa International agent, claiming that intimidations against activists of the so-called Khalistan referendum, which is spearheaded by Nijjar, continue.
All these claims of the SFJ are completely untrue. Gosal was formally charged by Canadian authorities in relation to the violent attack against the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton on November 3, 2024.
India has time and again cautioned that Canada's inaction could prove to be very costly. In a meeting in New Delhi on September 18 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie G Drouin, she said, "We discussed our respective security concerns and committed to non-interference, including refraining from transnational repression. We also agreed on the importance of reciprocal exchange of information and mutual responsiveness."
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