New Delhi: Amid the border tension with China in eastern Ladakh, designated terrorist outfit and pro-Khalistan group ‘Sikhs For Justice’ (SFJ) has come out with a new plan. The group has started targetting soldiers of the Sikh community in the Indian Army. The group has threatened Sikhs to desert the Indian Army or face the consequences. This information was given by intelligence agencies Monday. The agencies have alerted the Indian Army and other security establishments about the terrorist outfit’s nefarious activities.
Pakistani ISI has been backing the malicious campaign launched by the SFJ. The US-based SFJ is instigating Sikh defence personnel in the backdrop of the recent martyrdom of four Sikh soldiers in Ladakh. It happened when the Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley.
The outfit is exploiting open social media platforms. It is also using platforms like WhatsApp for disseminating these inflammatory messages,” intelligence agencies said.
The agency found that propaganda voice calls from an organsiation named SFJ campaign are making the rounds on social media. “The call is a pre-recorded one with the forward number being+1 (617) 390-7018. The number likely belongs to the Massachusetts locality in the United States,” the agencies stated.
The outfit members in the call are ‘motivating Sikh Indian soldiers not to get martyred for India’. They are inciting people by saying that India has a history of ‘not supporting Sikh people. That is why Sikhs should leave the Indian Army.
As per the message, Sikhs are being asked to join the ‘SFJ’ campaign. On joining they will get Rs 5,000 more than their present salary in Indian Army.
Also read: Galwan Valley: Fresh satellite images show ‘China structures’ on India border
It was found that Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief protagonist of ‘SFJ’, uploaded a highly provocative video (duration 138 seconds) June 18. A similar audio message (115 seconds) of Pannun directly instigating the Sikh soldiers was also sent to ‘Global System for Mobile Communications’ (GSM) subscribers, in Punjab. The message was later also disseminated through social media.
Pannun, in the video, has falsely claimed that only Sikh soldiers were killed in the conflict. He has accused India of using Sikhs in the Army as ‘watchmen’. Pannun has also claimed that though the theatre of conflict was ‘Kashmir’ but the ‘sacrifice’ was made by Sikhs.
In the audio message, Pannun has instigated the Sikh soldiers not to sacrifice their lives. This is because ‘India had twice attacked Akal Takht’, the agencies stated.
The SFJ failed to carry out any activity on ground in Punjab on the 36th anniversary (June 6) of ‘Operation Blue Star’. The outfit was then forced to postpone the commencement of so-called ‘voters registration for Referendum 2020’ in Punjab, July 4.
Another seditious message was found in circulation on WhatsApp. It claimed that Pakistan and China have no rivalry with Sikhs. It is India which is the ‘enemy of the Sikhs’.
Incidentally, Pakistan-based fugitive terrorist Gajinder Singh of Dal Khalsa has also shared a social media post along similar lines.
It should be stated here that Punjab Police had booked June 18, Pannun for sedition, unlawful activities and enticing Punjab youth for ‘Referendum 2020’.
