NEW DELHI: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel of the outlawed Sikhs For Justice, issued a public threat against Canadian MP Chandra Arya following the latter's continued condemnation of growing Khalistani extremism in Canada. Pannun's audio message accused Arya of being a "mouthpiece" of the Indian govt and called for him to face charges of treason. Pannun ominously added, "Let's all wait for the final fate of MP Arya."
The threat is part of an escalating series of incidents tied to Khalistani extremists. In another widely circulated video on Monday, Indian high commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma was depicted as target practice, and his effigy being burned, as extremists accused him of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom they labelled a "shaheed". The video has fuelled further tensions, underscoring the volatile situation.
Former Indian high commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria expressed disappointment at the developments and said the geopolitical alignment between India and Canada was being undermined by the Canadian govt's stance. He called the developments a "needless escalation" and criticised Canada's leadership for "sabotaging bilateral ties for short-term political gain".
Arya's vocal criticism of Khalistani extremism has intensified in recent months. He stressed the importance of law enforcement dealing with the rising violence "with an iron hand before it is too late".
In response to Arya's statements, Pannun called for the MP and his Hindu-Canadian supporters to "return to Modi's India". Arya rebutted Pannun's threats on social media, asserting that Khalistani extremists were "polluting" Canada and abusing the freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights. tnn
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