E-Paper
Indian diplomats in US, UK and Canada brace for the Khalistan rallies on July 8
Indian diplomatic premises in US, UK and Canada have been declared as “warzones” by Khalistanis for the rally to protest against murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Indian diplomats and diplomatic premises in a host of cities in Canada, the US and the UK are bracing for the “ Kill India” protest rallies organized by Sikh separatists in these countries to rally support for the so-called Khalistan cause and raise funds in the name of killed terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
While there are unconfirmed reports of designated terrorist and SFJ convener G S Pannu being sighted in the Greater Toronto area, the Indian diplomats in Canada, the US and the UK have been given full protection by the law enforcement agencies even though the political leadership of at least Canada is justifying the protest in the name of freedom of speech. It is rather ironic that Indian diplomats have been given security but no action has been taken against the extremist organizers of the rallies who are openly targeting senior Indian diplomats.
The protection to Indian diplomats and Indian diplomatic premises has been given by the law enforcement agencies of these countries after sustained campaigns by the Narendra Modi government and the threat of derailment of bilateral ties with these countries. Through the intelligence and homeland security channels, India has already taken up the case of terrorist Pannu with the US, Canadian and UK governments. The Indian intelligence believes that Pannu gets protection from the internal security agencies of these countries and the Khalistan issue is used as a leverage against India. The issue in all seriousness has been raised with the CIA, FBI, CSIS and MI-5 intelligence agencies by their Indian counterparts as well as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Fresh posters by Toronto Sikh radicals have come up calling the Indian diplomatic premises in Canada war zones but the real intent of these extremists is to radicalize the Sikh youth, away from their glorious traditions which are rooted in Indian culture.
While the US has understood the ramifications of Sikh radicalization, the core establishment in UK and Canada has a soft corner towards these extremists due to vote banks with Pakistan fishing in troubled waters. The problem with the UK and Canada is that they are upset with the rise of India under the Narendra Modi government. The UK, for one, still believes that it is a true legatee of the Raj and is still playing the Pakistan card in Afghanistan and is opposed to the moderate Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh, much to the chagrin of Indian national security planners. Many experts believe that the Joe Biden administration’s antipathy towards Bangladesh is partly due to the lobbying by the UK core establishment. Try as they may, the Sikh radical card will not work against India and the Narendra Modi government will not allow it.
