WASHINGTON DC: The Advocacy group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which is campaigning for Khalistan cause, has announced to establish their headquarters in Washington D.C at National Press Building.
Addressing a crowded press conference here at National Press Club, the legal advisor for SFJ Mr Gurpatwant Singh Pannu said that time has come to unveil the real brutal face of India as so called “largest democracy” in the world shrinking the space for minorities in their country.
“We are going to hold non-binding Referendum in November 2020 on the secession of Punjab from India and Sikhs from all around the world will decide about their own Sikh Homeland”, Pannu said. “We are going to establish “polling stations” in 20 different countries while people can also cast their vote online”.
“For “polling stations” we are targeting those countries where there is a majority of Sikh Population like United States, Canada and European countries, Mr Pannu told a questioner.
To another question Mr Pannu said that there are 30 million Sikhs worldwide, approximately 83 percent live in India. “About 76 percent of all Sikhs live in the north Indian State of Punjab where they form a majority (about two thirds) of the population.
About allegations of Indian government that SFJ is being supported by Pakistan, Mr Pannu termed such accusations as baseless. “India doing this propaganda for the last thirty years but could never get any evidence of that”. “We run campaign from Toronto, London and United States not from Pakistan and this is the perception created by the Indian agencies because one other excuse they have to stop the “Referendum Campaign” is to compare it with the act of terrorism. “We do not have any connections with Pakistan or with the Pakistani Government”, he clarified.
About the new Citizenship Law (CAB) in India, the Legal Advisor for SFJ said that India wanted to create a Hindu State but at the same time there are 200 million Muslims and 25 million Sikh Community so its good for them because if they are going to have a “Hindu State” then they are actually helping us to create our own states and independent countries. “This is clear to world powers now that minorities have no rights in India even, they cannot have their own religious identity, religious freedom”, he added.
Read more: Sikhs for justice vows to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation
“Our campaign is about “freedom of speech” and that is why we are declaring Washington D.C as our Headquarters”. “We are seeking the support of powerful countries likes United States, Canada and others to support us creating our own country to be called “Khalistan”, Mr Pannu told a questioner.
Explaining the reason for” Referendum 2020” Mr Pannu recalled the attack on Golden Temple by Indian Military. “Operation “Blue Star” was the codename of an Indian military action carried out in June 1984 to remove Sikhs’ religious leader Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale and his followers from the building of Golden Temple complex in Punjab. Till now Indian military has killed thousands of Sikhs and they even calls us as Hindus in their constitution but whatever it takes, we are going to have our own country very soon”.
During the press conference couple of Indian journalists tried to grill Mr Pannu and accused him working for foreign powers. The supporters of “Khalistan” group tried to stop Indian Journalists from asking questions but Mr Pannu asked his supporters to not stop them and let them ask questions.
