Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of Sikhs For Justice, warned Sikhs not to fly on Air India flights beginning on November 19 in a video that was posted on Sunday.
While law enforcement has stated that the issue is being looked into and is being treated “extremely seriously,” Canada has notified India that security for Air India planes operating to and from the nation’s airports has been strengthened.
These events come after a video that the separatist organization Sikhs for Justice, or SFJ, released on Saturday. Gurpatwant Pannun, general counsel for SFJ, cautions Sikhs in the video not to travel on Air India after November 19 since doing so could put their lives in jeopardy. The statement is repeated twice.
In a statement that was made public alongside the video, Pannun called for a “global shutdown” of the planes flying from Vancouver to London. Pannun said he was not threatening the airline, but rather “calling for a boycott” in a statement released on Thursday.
A top Indian official affirmed on Thursday that the request for increased security on Air India flights had received a response from the Canadian government.
The Globe and Mail was provided with a statement by Canada’s Minister of Transportation, Pablo Rodriguez, stating that the government takes aviation threats very seriously. With our security partners, we are attentively examining new threats that have been making the rounds on the internet.
The threat is being looked into by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, according to the Toronto Star. According to a spokesman, the RCMP considers all threats to national security seriously, including those made online.
Pannun expressed grave criminal intent in his statement: India
Sanjay Kumar Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, stated in a statement that Pannun’s remarks had significant criminal intent and should be handled seriously by Canada. He added that Pannun’s statements are punishable in all legal jurisdictions.
(Image Source : NDTV)
The Indian government has identified Pannun as a terrorist. He has participated in a number of anti-Indian initiatives and campaigns, including the ill-fated Khalistan Referendum.
However, Pannun has refuted claims that the video contained any violent content. He said there was no threat. Every right to look into a terror threat exists for the RCMP. He went on, and let them investigate if they believe that advocating for a boycott of Air India is a type of civil disobedience or a movement that targets Indian companies in particular.
Air India operates many weekly direct flights from Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, to New Delhi.
The circumstances surrounding the attack on Air India have remarkable similarities to what remains Canada’s worst act of terrorism. On June 23, 1985, terrorists from Khalistani group bombed Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, killing 319 passengers. Two baggage handlers in Tokyo’s Narita airport also perished in the blast from another bomb on another aircraft.
It is still recognized as the National Day of Remembrance for Terrorist Victims in Canada. However, extremist groups continue to identify Talwinder Singh Parmar as the mastermind of the incident. In fact, in June of this year, supporters of Khalistan honored him with a gathering at the Toronto memorial for the victims of the Air India terror event.
