Gurpatwant Singh Pannu who is a terrorist and the face of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has claimed that his life is in danger due to his separatist activities. In an interview with a Canadian news channel, he accused the Indian government of creating a plot to kill him because he advocated for a separate Khalistan state.
He has linked the recent assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who is an another Khalistani separatist to this campaign, and alleged that India is targeting those who are advocating for a separate Punjab. He criticized Sanjay Kumar Verma, who is the former Indian High Commissioner to Canada and labelled him as a duplicitous individual.
U.S. authorities have charged a Haryana native, identified as Vikas Yadav, with conspiring to murder Pannu. Vikash is alleged to be connected to India’s intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and is now wanted for his involvement in the assassination plot and money laundering, according to the FBI. The agency has recently issued a most-wanted poster with Yadav’s details, stating that he played a significant role in the conspiracy.
Pannu has pointed out conflicting messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. He has claimed that Modi warned of strong action against those working against India while Verma has denied his involvement in unlawful activities abroad.
Pannu has also alleged that RAW agent Nikhil Gupta had attempted to assassinate him in the U.S. and claimed that he has the proof in the form of text messages and videos.
Pannu even asserted that Nijjar, who is a key figure in the Khalistan movement, was murdered because of his demand for a separate Sikh state. He blamed India for the assassination.
Pannu further stated that his death is near but also vowed to continue his efforts to push the Khalistan movement forward, despite the alleged threats from the Indian government.
Pannu has claimed that India is working with Punjab Police’s counter-intelligence unit and is trying to use members of his own community to assassinate him.
The FBI has recently released a wanted poster for Vikas Yadav, a 39-year-old from Rewari, Haryana, accusing him of being involved in the plot to kill Pannu. The poster includes Yadav’s images, one of which shows him in military uniform. The U.S. intelligence claims that Yadav, under orders from RAW, has hired hitmen to assassinate Pannu and laundered money in this process.