Five-pronged strategy adopted to counter Khalistanis

From focussing on organised crime syndicate in India to using diplomatic strategy on taking up roles of foreign-based Khalistan sympathisers, the Centre has adopted a five-pronged strategy to counter radical Khalistan propaganda within and outside the country. The strategy includes identification and seizure of cross-border smuggling of narcotics, weapons from Pakistan, preventing jailed gangsters from operating in prisons and action against radical and Khalistan activities in Punjab, said official sources.

The Union home ministry has been sharing details of anti-India activities on foreign soil with the missions of the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Canada. The Indian missions also regularly take up matters with the host country with requests to ban pro-Khalistan leaders, said an official on the condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the role of pro-Khalistan elements (PKE) and their nexus to drug and crime syndicate, announced a cash reward of ₹10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of "listed terrorist" Harwinder Singh Sandhu aka Rinda and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu aka Landa, for promoting terror activities of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in India. The agency also shared details of 43 other individuals associated with the terror-gangster network having links to Canada.


The move comes amid the growing tensions between India and Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accused the Indian government of being behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India. Najjar was gunned down outside a Gurdwara in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on June 18. He was wanted by the NIA in connection with its probe.

The federal agency further said that a cash reward of ₹5 lakh each has also been declared for information on three associates of these terrorists, namely Parminder Singh Kaira aka Pattu, Satnam Singh and Yadvinder Singh. All five are wanted in the NIA case relating to BKI's terrorist activities aimed at disturbing India's peace and communal harmony and spreading terror in the state of Punjab.