India’s transnational repression and acts of terrorism continue on foreign soil

• The UK Government must break its silence and condemn Indian government terrorism • The UK Government is deliberately putting British Sikh lives at risk by failing to tackle transnational repression by the Indian government on UK soil

London – 2 February 2024

Dabinderjit Singh, the Principal Adviser of the Sikh Federation (UK): reacting to news of the latest attempted assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada said:

“It is clear the Indian government is hell-bent on targeting Sikh activists advocating for the reestablishment of a Sikh homeland.”

“Governments across the globe, especially the Five Eyes nations, led by the U.S. need to strongly condemn those responsible for the latest shooting and attempted assassination in Canada of a close friend of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”

“It is time for governments to take much tougher action against the Indian authorities who clearly have no respect for the rule of law, the sovereignty of other nations and those exercising their democratic rights to campaign for a Sikh homeland, Khalistan.”

“As British Sikhs we are looking to see if the UK Government stands up to the Indian authorities and shows solidarity with not only Canada and the US governments, but also Sikh activists who are under threat from these acts of terror.”

Dabinderjit Singh responding to media enquiries on the threat to British Sikh activists following another assassination attempt of a prominent Sikh activist in Canada and a close associate and friend of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, assassinated last June said:

“Since the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda in Birmingham last June and the activities of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in targeting British Sikhs hundreds of MPs have written to UK Government Ministers about Sikh activists in the UK feeling under threat from transnational repression by the Indian government.”

“For the last six months Ministers have written to MPs simply telling them to tell British Sikh activists who feel they are under threat to contact the police. British politicians seem too frightened to publicly call out the Indian government, are burying their heads in sand and this lack of courage and incompetence is putting British Sikh lives at risk.”

“Ministers are ignoring not only the facts that continue to emerge from Canada and the US but also what British police and intelligence agencies have been telling them about the criminal activities of the Indian government on UK soil.”

“The intelligence services are fully aware of the death threats Avtar Singh Khanda was receiving from named Indian police officers before his tragic and mysterious death.”

“The Metropolitan Police are fully aware the NIA came to the UK in May last year and shared on social media individual photographs and video footage of 45 Sikh protesters in London. Counter terror police told Sikh community representatives last June this targeting amounted to state repression by India.”

“On 10 July on an Indian news channel broadcast in Britain a hit-list of 20 Sikh activists issued by the NIA and astonishingly the NIA took responsibility for the killing of three Sikh activists in three different countries in less than a month.”

“They showed the photographs of the three they killed that included Avtar Singh Khanda and Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”

“The Indian news channel is regulated by Ofcom and must be monitored by British intelligence services. Since the video has been brought to the attention of the police, intelligence services and Ministers we have a right to know what has been done.”

“We believe the UK Government behind closed doors raised the matter with the Indian authorities, but in a tit-for-tat response on 1 August the NIA raided the family homes and harassed families of around 40 British Sikh activists in Panjab (the Sikh homeland).”

“The UK then expelled Sarvesh Raj the First Secretary (Political and Immigration) from the Indian High Commission in London.”

“The Security Minister met an all-party delegation of MPs on Tuesday to provide them reassurances on the safety and security of Sikh activists in the UK, but given the latest and worrying news from Canada it is only when we see concrete actions against India will we believe the UK Government has our back.”

ENDS Jaspal Singh National Press Secretary Sikh Federation (UK)