Indian agents 'threaten to kill' Sikhs For Justice leader in Italy

LONDON: A leading pro-Khalistan activist in Italy has claimed that he has received a direct threat to kill from the Indian state agents asking him to stop his political activities for Khalistan or face consequences.

Gurpal Singh, who is Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) coordinator in Italy and a close associate of SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, alleged that individuals linked to the local Indian High Commissioner have set up a spy network in Italy, warning him to stop advocating for the Khalistan Referendum or else be ready to face consequences.

He said he is organising the Khalistan Freedom Rally on January 26 in front of the Indian Embassy in Rome and interference from Indian agents will not hinder this activity in Italy.

Gurpal has filed a complaint to the Italian law enforcement on January 18, 2024.

He has told the Italian police: “I state that I’m coordinator of Sikh For Justice group with offices in other nations of the world such as England and the United States. This political movement group deals with the referendum in India for the independence of a region of India.

“On 26-1-2024 a propaganda demonstration against the Indian state will be scheduled in Rome because on that day there will be the Indian Republic day and on that day, as there is the celebration of the Indian constitution where the religion in which the SIKH are Hindus. Precisely for the reason of labelling the Hindu religion, the protest is taking place.

“Precisely, for this reason, on 01-16-2024,at around 3:30pm while I was at work, I received a call on my personal telephone number from the Italian number 3280568118 where I was speaking with a person of apparent male sex and with Indian accent or we spoke the Punjabi language. That person asked me for information on the organisation of the aforementioned event and the motivation for holding it in Rome.

“He asked me what it was like to hold this demonstration since I had made him aware that the Indian state was gradually killing their leaders. Then, that person who did not identify himself, started asking me personal questions about how old I was, where I lived, etc. Obviously I did not answer him and in response he provoked me by saying: 'Why don’t you go to India and do the demonstration?'

“As I spoke, I seemed to sense that he was in favour of the Indian state and he told me that he had worked in the Indian courts and that he had a brother who worked in government offices. He also told me that the Khalistans, therefore the people of that region which requires independence from India, were bad people and he had argued with them therefore, I invited him to file a complaint if he had problems with them but he, in response, he told me that in India it was not true that Indian leaders had been killed and at the same time, he told me that I should not take part in the demonstration and to stay at home with the children. I remember him explicitly telling me, ‘You better stay at home and think about your children. If you go forward there will be consequences’. The call stopped and he never called me back. I tried calling him shortly afterwards but he wouldn’t call me.”

Gurpal said: “Agents working with the Indian High Ambassador have built a spy network in Italy and have threatened me to stop my pro-Khalistan Referendum campaign or else I will face dire consequences. Death threats will not stop me from continuing my peaceful and democratic campaign of the Khalistan Referendum to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation. I am organizing the Khalistan Freedom Rally on 26 January in front of the Indian Embassy in Rome and Indian agents cannot stop me from doing this in Italy.”

Seven months ago, Indian state agents killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, SFJ’s local leader. In November last year, the US government revealed that Indian state agent Nikhil Gupta was involved in planning to kill Pannun on US soil — a plot foiled by Washington's law enforcement.