New Delhi: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, pro-Khalistan leader of the banned organization Sikhs for Justice, has come into the news this time for another video, in which India has been warned of Hamas-like attacks. In the video, Pannun warns Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to learn from the Israel-Palestine war, otherwise, there may be a similar “reaction” in India.
Pannun, a terrorist designated under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), warned India of Hamas-like attacks in his video message to India. Hamas fighters from the Gaza Strip launched a multi-pronged surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, breaking its high-tech defense technology.
The war between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas fighters from the Gaza Strip has killed more than 2,200 people and left thousands homeless.
In the video, Pannun can be heard saying, “The people of illegal occupation from Punjab to Palestine will react. And violence begets violence.”
Pannun says, “Modi, learn from the Israel-Palestine conflict. From Punjab to Palestine the occupiers will react and violence will beget violence. If India continues to occupy Punjab, there will be a reaction and, Modi and India, you will be responsible. SFJ believes in ballot papers. SFJ believes in voting. The liberation of Punjab is certain.”
“India, the choice is yours: ballot or bullet,” Pannun says in the video while pointing towards the camera.
Early last month, Gurpatwant Pannun published a video asking Indians to leave Canada. In the video, Pannun was heard saying, “Leave Indo-Hindu Canada; Go to India. You not only support India but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs.”
Pannun is part of the Khalistan movement which wants to create a separate nation for Sikhs outside India. For decades, the movement waged a bloody insurgency in India that finally ended in the 1990s. While militancy declined in India in the 1990s, the movement enjoyed strong influence abroad.
The message also said that the SFJ would “avenge” the killing of pro-Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Canada.
The video comes just days after Gujarat Police filed an FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for threatening to turn the Cricket World Cup, which began on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, into a “World Terror Cup”.
Pannun’s threatening message comes amid a diplomatic standoff between India and Canada over the killing of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurudwara in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.
Amritsar-born Pannun has been on the radar of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) since 2019 when the investigating agency registered its first case against a Khalistani terrorist. He has been accused of primarily advocating and carrying out terrorist acts and activities and spreading fear and terror in Punjab and other parts of India through his threats and intimidation tactics.
Non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against Pannun by the special NIA court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a “designated offender” (PO) on November 29 last year.
(with agency input)