Baldev Singh Sirsa, a leader of an organisation involved in the ongoing farmers' protests, has claimed he and other participants have been summoned by the National Investigation Agency.
Sirsa is head of the Lok Bhalai Insaf Welfare Society (LBIWS), which has been among farmers' unions participating in talks with the Centre.
The Indian Express reported Sirsa has been summoned to appear at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. He has been summoned in connection with a case against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who is chief of the Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice.
In July 2019, the Centre had banned Sikhs for Justice, which predominantly operates in North America, for alleged anti-national activities. Sikhs for Justice had pushed for the 'Sikh Referendum 2020' as part of its separatist agenda.
The government had then said Sikhs for Justice "openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India".
More recently, Sikhs for Justice had announced prize money for people hoisting the Khalistani flag on Republic Day.
The Indian Express reported the case against Pannu relates to an alleged conspiracy to create an “atmosphere of fear and lawlessness and to cause disaffection in people and to incite them towards rising in rebellion against the government of India”.
Reacting to the summons, Sirsa told The Indian Express, "First, the Government tried to derail the farmer agitation through the Supreme Court, now it is using the NIA."
“Many people who are associated with the farmers’ agitation have been sent these summons. It is to terrorise those working for farmers. But we are not going to be affected by this. We will not bend. The NIA is working day and night to scuttle the kisan parade on January 26. The government is bent on defaming the protest," Sirsa told The Indian Express.
The publication added that Sirsa and others got summons from the NIA to answers questions related to the case against Pannu under various sections of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
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The NIA FIR in the case against Pannu alleges SFJ is mobilising "huge funds" overseas. The Indian Express reported the NIA as saying "funds so collected are being sent through Non-Governmental Organisations to pro-Khalistani elements based in India, to undertake terrorist acts and to strike terror in the people of India”.
Earlier this week, Advocate General K.K. Venugopal had told the Supreme Court during a hearing on the farmers' protests that there was "Khalistani infiltration" in the farmers' protests.
