NEW DELHI, INDIA (Diya TV) — India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) (UAPA) Tribunal extended a ban on Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for another five years. SFJ is led by pro-Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, who is a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court and the head of the tribunal, found credible links between SFJ and Khalistani terrorist groups, including Babbar Khalsa International and the Khalistan Tiger Force. The tribunal also noted that the group collaborated with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to revive militancy in Punjab.
A July 9, 2024 notification by the Indian government declared SFJ an unlawful association, which was said to have the potential to disrupt peace, unity, and the integrity of India. The tribunal sided with MHA claims that SFJ was indulging in anti-national activities like recruitment and indoctrination of youth through social media platforms and financing terrorism through smuggling networks. The group has also been accused of purchasing weapons and explosives and issuing death threats to the prime minister and home minister, among other prominent political figures.
The MHA has highlighted that SFJ plays a role in supporting violent extremism and militancy in Punjab and other regions to create a separate Khalistan. According to the government, the acts of the organization threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The tribunal’s verdict highlights SFJ’s links with militant outfits and its purported intention to destabilize the country.
Pannun, declared a terrorist under UAPA, functions from outside India and has been booked for various crimes in India. He is accused of using digital media to disseminate separatist propaganda and to entice Indian youth into anti-national activities.
The government also cautioned that SFJ might intensify its subversive activities, which would further destabilize the country’s lawful governance.
This is not the first time SFJ has been criticized. The group’s activities have attracted much criticism for pushing an agenda that seems to threaten peace and harmony in Punjab, a state with a history of militancy in the 1980s and 1990s.
