Amritpal Singh and associates are prisoners of conscience: SFJ

LONDON/CALIFORNIA: A large number of American Sikhs have called for the release of imprisoned Sikh activists in India — Bhai Amritpal Singh and Bandi Singh — who have been locked up by the Narendra Modi regime on trumped-up political charges.

The demand was made at a convoy of trucks and cars with over 1,000 Pro-Khalistan Sikhs, clogging the traffic on the highways leading to Sacramento, California, USA.

The rally was organised by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) urging the global Sikh community to make a stand for the incarcerated Sikhs.

The rally was organised coinciding with the “Panthic Gathering In Amritsar” to chalk out a strategy for the release of Amritpal and his associates who are lodged in Dibrugarh Jail.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Counsel SFJ, asserted that the only solution to the various issues faced by Sikhs lies in the establishment of Khalistan, a plight stemming from the desecration of the Golden Temple in 1984.

He said that Amritpal and Bandi Singh are prisoners of conscience.

He said the only solution to address farmers' issues, Amritpal Singh's challenges and the sacrifices of over 100,000 Sikhs was the establishment of Khalistan. He said the root cause of Sikh’s woes can be traced back to India's desecration of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, during the incident in June 1984.

Highlighting the overwhelming support of the community for the Khalistan Referendum, Pannun urged the Punjab-based Sikh community to actively participate in the forthcoming Khalistan Referendum, for which registrations will soon commence.

According to the SFJ leader, millions of Sikhs globally have cast their votes in favour of the Khalistan Referendums conducted across numerous countries, affirming the unified will of the Sikh nation. The substantial turnout serves as a testament to the intentions of the Sikh community, he said.

Pannun stressed that hundreds of emails have been sent urging the declaration of Shaheed Jathedar Shri Akal Takth Sahib Gurdev Singh Ji Kaunke, who was martyred in 1993, as a national hero and shaheed.

The Sikh leader further stated that at the March 31 referendum in Sacramento, California, USA, Sikhs will assert Khalistan as the only solution for the issues of Amritpal Singh and Bandi Singh.

Meanwhile, social media platforms like YouTube and X have blocked access to the documentary on Khalistani leaders Pannun and the slain Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which appeared on CBC, a Canada government-funded broadcaster.

The 45-minute-long episode of the ‘The Fifth Estate’ investigative program of CBC, has been taken down from social media platforms at India's request.

The documentary showed the footage of Nijjar's murder, which took place inside the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in British Columbia (BC), Canada in June last year.

In the CCTV footage of the murder, Nijjar can be seen driving a pickup truck. He was shot dead after his vehicle was blocked by a white sedan near the parking lot exit gate. The program also included a long interview with SFJ leader Pannun's interview.

The documentary was pulled off because it said there was overwhelming evidence suggesting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally ordered the killing of Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and directed the murder-for-hire plot of Pannun.