Shillong, September 24: Amid the intensifying diplomatic dispute between India and Canada following the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a startling revelation has emerged.
According to a report by The Intercept, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have taken the unusual step of visiting Khalistani individuals in the United States, cautioning them about potential threats to their lives.
As per India Today, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the prominent figurehead of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed at the hands of unidentified assailants outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on June 18. This event triggered a heated exchange of accusations between India and Canada, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggesting New Delhi’s involvement.
In response to Canada’s allegations, India vehemently dismissed them as baseless and motivated. As a tit-for-tat measure, India expelled a Canadian diplomat, mirroring Ottawa’s earlier removal of an Indian official connected to the case.
Pritpal Singh, a coordinator for the American Sikh Caucus Committee, disclosed that he, along with two other Sikh Americans residing in California, received both calls and visits from FBI agents in the wake of Nijjar’s assassination. Pritpal Singh shared his experience, stating that the agents informed him of a perceived threat to his life, although they refrained from specifying the source of this threat, urging him to exercise caution.
The two anonymous Sikh Americans corroborated Pritpal Singh’s account, confirming that they too were visited by FBI agents during the same period. As of now, the federal agency has not officially commented on these developments.
Before the tragic event in June, Canadian intelligence authorities had already warned Khalistani elements, including Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council, about potential threats to their lives. However, these warnings never explicitly pointed to Indian intelligence as the source of the threat, leaving the recipients in the dark about its origins.
Remarkably, Royal Canadian Mounted Police agents had specifically singled out Nijjar, cautioning him about the impending danger to his life, according to Moninder Singh.
Sukhman Dhami, co-director of Ensaaf, a California-based NGO, confirmed the trend, stating that community leaders involved in Sikh self-determination politics have received recent visits from law enforcement agencies, who have warned them of potential targeting.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in India had designated Hardeep Singh Nijjar in July 2020, offering a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for his capture. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had also filed charges against the Khalistani terrorist in its Mohali court.