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Ottawa: India has been continuously raising questions on the presence of Khalistani terrorists in Canada. According to sources, regarding the recent threat given by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu regarding Air India, Canada’s Transport Minister said on Thursday that Canadian Police warned in a video circulated online not to fly Air India from November 19.
“We take every threat seriously, especially when it concerns airlines,” Transportation Minister Pablo Rodriguez told media in Ottawa. He said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating the matter on priority.
“Our government takes any threat to aviation extremely seriously. We are investigating recent threats circulating online closely and with our security partners,” he said. Besides, Canadian officials have also assured India that it has already increased the security of Air India flights.
Meanwhile, India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma said Pannun’s statement was of “serious criminal intent, punishable in all legal jurisdictions” and added that should be taken cognisance of by Canada.
Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs in a press briefing, said India has strongly condemned recent threats made about Air India flights by Khalistani terrorists and added, “We have been engaged with foreign governments on the activities of radical and terrorist elements, that have been inciting violence and intimidation of our leadership, our diplomats.”
Alert: 🇮🇳 Khalistani Terrorist Gurpatwant Pannun issues a video for Govt of India, threatening to blow the Air India flight on 19 November. Just like their Parmar did.
He suggested Sikhs in India to not board Air India on 19 November.
Govt of India must take cognisance.
Join… pic.twitter.com/luhh3zAcYv
— Norbert Elikes (@NorbertElikes) November 4, 2023
In a video posted online last week, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, general counsel of the Khalistani organization Sikh for Justice, is seen threatening the airlines. Pannun appealed to Sikhs in the world not to travel by Air India from 19th November onward, saying that it can be life-threatening.
“We are asking the Sikhs not to fly Air India on 19th November. On 19th November, there will be a global blockade and the Air India will not be allowed to fly anywhere across the world. Sikhs, you do not travel by Air India after 19th November. It can be life-threatening. This is my warning to the government of India. The Indira Gandhi International Airport should remain closed on the 19th of November,” he said in a 1.37-second video.
Further in the video, the SFJ leader unveiled the reason why the terror group chose November 19 as the day to attack Delhi airport and Air India Flight. “It is the same day 19th November on which the final match of the World Terror Cup will be played. It will be shown to the world that a genocide of Sikhs happened in India and India did it. When we will liberate Punjab, the name of these airports will be Shahid Beant Singh and Shahid Satwant Singh Airport,” he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September that Indian agents played a role in the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader near Vancouver in June and expelled an Indian diplomat believed to have links to the killing . India rejected the allegation as “absurd”. The unsolved murder has led to a deterioration in relations between India and Canada, and India has expressed displeasure over the way Ottawa has dealt with Sikh separatists.
