Terrorist Organization
NEW DELHI: India has formally requested the United States to designate a Sikh separatist group as a terrorist organization, according to an Indian government source. The request comes more than a year after Washington claimed to have foiled an assassination plot linked to India, which targeted a prominent leader of the group within the US.
In November 2023, US authorities went public with allegations that a former officer from India’s intelligence services had orchestrated a plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
Pannun serves as the general counsel for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), an organization that advocates for the creation of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan. The revelation of this plot created diplomatic tensions and tested the strengthening ties between India and the US.
India has consistently denied any official involvement in the assassination attempt and launched an internal inquiry into the matter. In January 2024, New Delhi stated that its investigative panel had recommended legal action against an unidentified individual linked to the plot.
India’s latest request to the US to list SFJ as a terrorist entity reportedly took place during discussions between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and visiting US National Intelligence Chief Tulsi Gabbard.
The Indian government source, who disclosed the information, requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions. Indian media outlets have also reported on the request, though no formal statements have been issued by government officials.
SFJ, which was founded in 2007, conducts referendums advocating for a separate Sikh state within India. In 2019, the Indian government declared SFJ an “unlawful association” on the grounds that it supported extremist and secessionist activities. Furthermore, in 2020, Pannun was officially designated as an “individual terrorist” under Indian law.
India’s concerns regarding Sikh separatist activities have led to diplomatic disputes, including a major fallout with Canada over the June 2023 killing of another Sikh separatist, which Ottawa suggested had links to Indian intelligence.
SFJ has consistently denied New Delhi’s allegations and maintains that its activities are peaceful and democratic. In response to India’s request to the US, Pannun issued a statement rejecting the terrorist label.
“Who is the terrorist? Is it SFJ, which is peacefully and democratically organizing the Global Khalistan Referendum to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation?” he questioned in a statement shared with Reuters. “Or is it [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s India, which engages in violent transnational repression and hires hitmen to assassinate Khalistan Referendum organizers?”
When asked for a response, an Indian defence ministry spokesperson declined to comment. Meanwhile, a US Embassy spokesperson stated that there was no additional information beyond the official statement regarding Singh and Gabbard’s meeting. The statement mentioned efforts to deepen security ties but made no reference to SFJ.
Tulsi Gabbard, during her visit to India, acknowledged India’s security concerns while speaking at a geopolitical conference in New Delhi. “I have heard from my Indian counterparts about the very serious concerns that you have here for your own security interests,” she stated, though she did not specifically mention SFJ or the terrorist designation request.
Neither Gabbard’s team nor the Office of the Director of National Intelligence responded immediately to requests for comment regarding the issue. The matter remains a point of diplomatic engagement between India and the US, reflecting broader tensions surrounding Sikh separatist movements and transnational security concerns.
