WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a U.S.-based separatist group deemed a terrorist organization in India, has resumed professional lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., following a four-year gap, according to federal records filed in April 2025.

Led by attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ has re-engaged The Livingston Group LLC, a prominent bipartisan lobbying firm, marking its third documented attempt to influence U.S. policy circles. The group’s registration with the firm was filed for the first quarter of 2025 and aligns with the early months of the Trump administration’s second term.

The official disclosure, filed with the U.S. Senate on April 10, shows SFJ aims to engage top federal offices, including the White House, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and members of Congress. The lobbying registration specifies that efforts are focused on “issues related to the intimidation and harassment of U.S. citizens of Sikh ethnicity by individuals and entities outside of the United States for expressing their personal and political views.”

The Livingston Group, led by former Louisiana Congressman Robert L. Livingston, listed him along with former chief of staff J. Allen Martin and Cathryn Kingsbury as the principal lobbyists handling the account.

This move marks SFJ’s return to formal lobbying after two previous, short-lived efforts in 2020 and 2021.

SFJ first surfaced on Washington’s lobbying radar in 2020, when Greater America LLC hired The Livingston Group on its behalf. That engagement disclosed $10,000 in payments for lobbying the White House and other agencies, but it ended within a month, with a termination report filed on April 17, 2020.

A second attempt came in 2021, when SFJ hired Blue Star Strategies LLC. That registration described the group as a “U.S.-based NGO that supports the secession of Punjab from India.” The firm filed to lobby on human rights concerns involving the Sikh community in India. However, the engagement was again brief, ending just over two months later on May 31, 2021.

SFJ’s renewed push in 2025 marks a strategic return to The Livingston Group and an apparent effort to leverage the shifting political landscape under President Trump’s leadership.

The Indian government has long accused SFJ of promoting secessionist violence and maintains that the group receives backing from Pakistani intelligence services. New Delhi designated SFJ a terrorist organization under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2019. Pannun, the group’s founder and legal advisor, has been declared an individual terrorist and faces multiple criminal cases in India.

Indian officials have voiced concern over the group’s activities on U.S. soil, especially given SFJ’s past involvement in organizing referendums and campaigns calling for an independent Sikh state, Khalistan.

While U.S. law permits lobbying by foreign or controversial entities so long as they comply with federal transparency rules, SFJ’s access to influential policy channels has raised diplomatic red flags. The group’s lobbying strategy—targeting core government institutions—suggests a calculated effort to influence U.S. perspectives on internal Indian affairs, potentially straining bilateral relations.

SFJ’s return to formal lobbying arrives at a time when the Trump administration has signaled a harder stance on foreign influence in U.S. domestic affairs, yet the group’s registration reflects the ongoing openness of American political infrastructure to advocacy, regardless of international controversies.

The Livingston Group has not publicly commented on the nature of its work with SFJ beyond what is required by law. No financial disclosures have yet been filed for the second quarter of 2025.

As SFJ attempts to regain a foothold in Washington policy circles, its activities will likely continue to draw scrutiny from lawmakers, diplomatic observers, and Indian officials closely watching its next move.