Nijjar’s appointment to steer Referendum 2020 shows true colours of SFJ: Amarinder

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 27

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday said the appointment of a wanted Khalistani terrorist to spearhead the Khalistan Referendum 2020 campaign had exposed the true motive and intent behind the separatist movement.

He urged the Centre to press the global community to join India in cracking down on this grave threat to its peace and security.

Reacting strongly to the media reports of the roping in by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was on the list of wanted persons he had shared with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during their meeting in Amritsar in February 2018, Amarinder expressed concern over the Canadian government’s covert and overt support to the hardliners operating from its soil.

Even as he urged Trudeau not to play with fire by allowing such elements to use Canadian territory to disrupt India’s peace and stability, the CM called upon the Indian government to take a more proactive stand in dealing with these forces trying to unleash trouble in the country, particularly Punjab.

He expressed concern over Canada’s failure to rein in such hardline elements seeking to disturb India’s peace and security. He warned that allowing such elements would be detrimental to Canada’s own safety and security in the long run.

Amarinder said Nijjar was accused by India of running a terror camp in British Columbia, besides being accused of target killings in India and conducting weapons training for anti-India terrorists in the West.

The Referendum 2020 had never been the peaceful movement it claimed to be, but by roping in Nijjar, it was clear that SFJ had given up all pretensions of steering a non-violent campaign, the CM said.