New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The arrest of Inderjeet Singh Gosal in Canada is a clear indicator that the agencies have begun their crackdown against the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Gosal is the main coordinator for the proscribed SFJ in Canada and was responsible for holding several referendums that sought support for a separate Khalistan nation carved out of Punjab. The Indian agencies have been sharing Intelligence on a regular basis with their counterparts in Canada. While information about outfits such as Babbar Khalsa International is being shared, this time the focus is largely on the SFJ.

Indian officials have warned that the SFJ, unlike the Babbar Khalsa International, may not be carrying out an armed struggle, but the fact is that the outfit that is led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is far more dangerous. The SFJ runs the propaganda wing of the Khalistan movement, and it is dangerous since it manages to create a perception that their struggle is genuine. Moreover, the SFJ has a wide reach on social media, and it has used it to its best ability to spread false propaganda against India. In fact, most of the campaigns have been around the creation of a Khalistan nation. It has repeatedly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called for his assassination as well. The SFJ was also trying to infiltrate the farmers’ protests in India with the intention of radicalising the Sikh people and urging them to raise arms against the Indian government.

In several conversations that the agencies of India and Canada have had, both nations have acknowledged the danger posed by the SFJ. In Canada, it has now ramped up efforts to radicalise the Sikh population, although only a small minority have been swayed. However, officials of both nations agree that even if the number of those radicalised may be smaller, these people are enough to disrupt peace and spread their propaganda. India has raised concerns with Ottawa that the Khalistanis are using Canada as a launch pad to strike in India. There are multiple dossiers shared, which clearly prove the role of the SFJ in coordinating with other terror groups and gangsters to carry out targeted killings and terror attacks in India. However, what has worried the Canadian agencies is that there is a good chance that the violence may spill out on the streets of their country.

The SFJ has been making false claims that it has the backing of the Canadian establishment. Following the arrest of Gosal, the SFJ confirmed the development. It, however, falsely claimed that the arrest of Gosal in connection with a firearms case is, in fact, a case about the Canadian government’s duty to protect the life of a Canadian citizen. The SFJ said that action was taken to protect him from the imminent and grave threat to his life from the Indian government. The SFJ once brought out the issue relating to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Babbar Khalsa International operative. It said that the threat continues against campaigners for the so-called Khalistan referendum that Nijjar led.

All these claims made by the SFJ are entirely false. Gosal was charged by the Canadian authorities after the violent attack on the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton on November 3, 2024. India has on several occasions pointed out that if Canada did not act, it would soon become detrimental to them. Following a meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his counterpart Nathalie G Drouin in New Delhi on September 18, the latter 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.”