Khalistani separatist Pannun manipulating people to seek fake asylum under guise of activism

Ottawa, Sep 3 (IANS) A Canadian court recently dismissed the claims of an Indian citizen and his family, who sought refugee protection in the country on the grounds that they would face persecution for becoming supporters of the Khalistani movement after arriving in Canada.

According to reports, the applicants filed for a judicial review of a decision by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada’s Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) in 2024, which confirmed that the applicants were neither Convention refugees nor persons in need of protection pursuant to sections 96 and 97(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The recent court ruling upheld RAD's decision as reasonable and dismissed the application.

Both Refugee Protection Division [RPD] and RAD rejected the applicants' sur place (asylum) claim arising from their new profile as supporters of Khalistan. The applicants argued that their affiliations would bring them to the attention of authorities and make it unreasonable to return to India, citing backlash from society and possible police scrutiny.

The RPD found that the Principal Applicant's sur place claim was not credible because he provided inconsistent evidence. It also mentioned that he was not aware of the type of militancy the police could be accusing him of in connection with the Khalistan movement. He was also not aware of what the Khalistan movement was or for what it was being fought.

Various reports suggest that the pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) group, is manipulating people to seek fake asylum abroad under the guise of Khalisatni activism.

According to a report in ‘Khalsa Vox’, the demand for Khalistan, which largely emerged after 1970, was primarily driven by fringe elements in India and abroad, while the vast majority of Sikhs in India do not support the demand for an independent homeland under the name of Khalistan.

According to the report, the Khalistani campaign began with Jagjit Singh Chauhan, followed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Dal Khalsa, militant groups in the 1980s and 1990s, Simranjit Singh Mann, and the USA-based banned 'Sikhs for Justice' group with Amritpal Singh being the most recent figure in pushing the propaganda.

The 'Khalsa Vox' report stated that the demand for Khalistan was a conspiracy hatched by unscrupulous and opportunistic political parties in India seeking to create polarisation within the Indian community along communal lines and garner sympathy and votes during elections.

However, Amritpal Singh's campaign ultimately collapsed much like Chauhan’s "government in exile".

India has repeatedly warned countries including Canada and the United Kingdom about the Khalistan terror menace.

--IANS

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