India botifies SFJ of 5-year ban extension, awaits reply

Toronto: The Indian government has sent a formal notice to the secessionist outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) that the ban upon it is being extended by five years, asking it to respond within a period of 30 days.

The registered letter, sent from India’s High Commission in Ottawa, was received at SFJ’s office address in Toronto on August 29. After receiving the letter, SFJ’s general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun wrote to Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly urging them to “aptly respond to India’s extra territorial move against a Canadian organisation and interference in Canada’s internal affairs.”

The letter signed by Jitendra Pratap Singh, Registrar of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, said that the central government in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) and (3) of Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act had extended the declaration of SFJ as an unlawful association “for a further period of five years from the 10th day of July 2024.”

It cited a Gazette notification wherein the government constituted a Tribunal comprising Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, Judge of the Delhi High Court of Delhi, “for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for extending the declaration.”

It sought a response within 30 days of service of the notice why SFJ “should not be declared as unlawful and why order should not be made confirming the declaration made in the above-mentioned Notification.” It said objections/written statement may be filed/delivered within 30 days and SFJ’s representatives “may appear before the Tribunal on September 26 at 2.30 pm,” or appearance could be made “through duly authorized and instructed Counsel/Advocate.” The letter was sent as required by Indian legal provision and the decision of the Government was conveyed to SFJ, a person familiar with the matter said.

Pannun said that to his knowledge a similar letter was not received in the United States and did not recall getting one in 2019, when SFJ was first proscribed under the Act.

In its letter to the Canadian Ministers, SFJ’s cited the killing of the head of its Canadian chapter of the so-called Khalistan Referendum Hardeep Singh Nijjar on July 18 last year.

It also mentioned Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons three months later that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing.

Describing the UAPA as “draconian”, it said the letter was a “direct challenge to the sovereignty of Canada and attempting to silence and intimidate a Canadian organisation in Canada.

India continues to described the charges made by Trudeau as “absurd” and “motivated”.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.