New Delhi: In a video released on December 6, 2023, Pannun claimed that Indian agencies had tried to assassinate him, but failed. He then threatened to attack the Indian Parliament on or before December 13, 2023, the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. He also showed a poster with the image of Afzal Guru, the convicted terrorist who was hanged in 2013 for his role in the 2001 attack. The poster read “Delhi will become Pakistan”.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a Khalistani terrorist and the founder of the banned organization Sikh for Justice (SFJ). He is wanted by India for several anti-national activities, including promoting secessionist movements and supporting violence. He is currently based in the US and has been declared a terrorist by India in July 2020.
Pannun’s threat has raised the alarm among the Indian security agencies, who have increased their vigilance and preparedness to foil any possible attack. The agencies have also alerted the Air India authorities, as Pannun had earlier warned the Sikh passengers not to travel by Air India flights on November 19, 2023, saying that their lives would be in danger. He had also claimed that he would shut down the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and rename it Bhindranwale International Airport.
Pannun’s threat is seen as a desperate attempt to create fear and chaos in India, as his organization SFJ has failed to garner any support from the Sikh community in India or abroad. SFJ had launched a campaign called Referendum 2020, which aimed to hold a plebiscite among the Sikhs to demand a separate state of Khalistan. However, the campaign was rejected by the majority of the Sikhs, who expressed their loyalty and patriotism to India. Pannun’s threat is also seen as a way to provoke the Indian government and seek attention from the international community, especially the US, where he enjoys some legal protection. However, India has been pursuing his extradition and has also urged the US to ban his organization and activities.
