Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has threatened to initiate independence movements in various Indian states. He also urged China to use its military might to seize Indian terrirories in a recent video.
Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland were among the regions named in the new video where he claimed to promote separatist movements. Canada-based pro-Khalistani leader Pannun has been designated a terrorist by India.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun called the group’s mission "SFJ 2024 ONE India To 2047 NONE India", in the video released in reaction to Canada’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs rereaffirming the country's policy of respecting India’s territorial integrity.
“There’s one India, and that’s been made very clear,” Minister David Morrison reportedly said, which irked the Sikhs for Justice, which has long been trying unsuccessfully to reignite separatist moves in Punjab.
Pannun reportedly countered Morrison's claims and mentioned the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh as Chinese territory. He urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to seize the border state by force from India. “Now is the time to order the Chinese army to take Arunachal Pradesh back,” the SFJ leader reportedly said in the video.
The diplomatic ties between India and Canada remain strained in the backdrop of the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. Nijjar was gunned down in British Columbia and Canada has accused Indian agents of executing the murder. Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor has addressed concerns over India’s alleged interference in Canadian policy over Khalistani elements operating from the North American country.