Just after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of orchestrating the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, rumours began to float on social media that Sikh security personnel at Rastrapathi Bhawan have been replaced.
There were also speculations that the Indian Army was denying leave requests to soldiers. However, the Indian Army has come out with a clarification that such reports are baseless. In a post on X, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) said that these were fake. "Fake messages are being spread on social media by inimical agents about soldiers of #IndianArmy, spreading rumours and hate-mongering. Safeguard yourselves against such fake news," the post added.
#FakeNewsAlert#Beware
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) September 19, 2023
Fake messages are being spread on social media by inimical agents about soldiers of #IndianArmy, spreading rumours & hate-mongering.
Safeguard yourselves against such fake news. #IndianArmy pic.twitter.com/7q1icOPXdm
The Press Information Bureau also carried out a fact check, stating that there was no such decision. It noted that such baseless allegations were "shared with the intention to create disharmony".
SGPC response
The revelation has prompted the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex religious body of Sikhs, to respond. The SGPC said the matter will affect Sikhs all over the world.
SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to resolve the issues of Sikhs in India and move towards an appropriate and meaningful solution by understanding the problems and feelings of the Sikh community living abroad. "In the murder case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, the expelling of a diplomatic officer of India by the Canadian government after allegations were levelled against him raises many questions," Dhami said.
"As a reaction to this, even though India rejected the allegations and expelled a Canadian diplomatic officer, this matter is very serious and directly related to the Sikhs which is going to affect the community members at the global level," he added.
The SGPC chief further said the governments of both the countries should bring the matter on the agenda of serious consideration instead of levelling accusations. Dhami asserted that Sikhs are living across the globe, whose human rights as well as religious concerns are important.
