'Demand to establish Khalistan justified': Rahul Gandhi's remark on Sikhs provides ammo to Pannun
Pannun's justification came after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's remarks on whether a Sikh would be allowed to wear a turban or go to the gurudwara.
- Sep 11, 2024,
- Updated Sep 11, 2024 12:51 PM IST
Pro-Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist by India, on Wednesday justified the demand for Khalistan. Pannun's justification came after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's remarks on whether a Sikh would be allowed to wear a turban or go to the gurudwara.
Pannun said in a social media post that Rahul Gandhi's statement on the "existential threat to Sikhs in India" is not only bold and pioneering but also rooted in the factual history of the oppression Sikhs have been facing under successive regimes in India since 1947.
"(It) also corroborates SFJ's stance on the justification for the Punjab Independence Referendum to establish a Sikh homeland, Khalistan," Pannun added. Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the fight in India is not about politics and is whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear a turban or a kada in India.
While interacting with the Indian diaspora in Virginia, Gandhi said: "First of all, you have to understand the fight is not about politics. The fight is about whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear his turban or go to the gurudwara in India. It's not just for Sikhs, but for all religions."
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's statement, Union Minister and former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri said that Sikhs felt existential threat when Rahul Gandhi's family was in power.
Raking up the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, the Union Minister said: "If there ever was any fear or anxiety in their minds about being identified as Sikhs due to their kada, kirpan or turban, it was only during the mindless one-sided violence and pogrom against members of the Sikh Sangat in 1984."
Puri said that the Gandhi scion was holding the office of Leader of Opposition to only criticise the government while overseas. While accusing Gandhi of propagating a "dangerous narrative" among the Indian diaspora in the US, Puri said that the former's claims of Sikhs not being able to wear a kada and a turban in India "border on being purely delusional and absurd."
Pro-Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist by India, on Wednesday justified the demand for Khalistan. Pannun's justification came after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's remarks on whether a Sikh would be allowed to wear a turban or go to the gurudwara.
Pannun said in a social media post that Rahul Gandhi's statement on the "existential threat to Sikhs in India" is not only bold and pioneering but also rooted in the factual history of the oppression Sikhs have been facing under successive regimes in India since 1947.
"(It) also corroborates SFJ's stance on the justification for the Punjab Independence Referendum to establish a Sikh homeland, Khalistan," Pannun added. Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the fight in India is not about politics and is whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear a turban or a kada in India.
While interacting with the Indian diaspora in Virginia, Gandhi said: "First of all, you have to understand the fight is not about politics. The fight is about whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear his turban or go to the gurudwara in India. It's not just for Sikhs, but for all religions."
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's statement, Union Minister and former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri said that Sikhs felt existential threat when Rahul Gandhi's family was in power.
Raking up the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, the Union Minister said: "If there ever was any fear or anxiety in their minds about being identified as Sikhs due to their kada, kirpan or turban, it was only during the mindless one-sided violence and pogrom against members of the Sikh Sangat in 1984."
Puri said that the Gandhi scion was holding the office of Leader of Opposition to only criticise the government while overseas. While accusing Gandhi of propagating a "dangerous narrative" among the Indian diaspora in the US, Puri said that the former's claims of Sikhs not being able to wear a kada and a turban in India "border on being purely delusional and absurd."