The Videos from the Gurdwara depict protesters chanting slogans against India's alleged suppression of the Sikh movement. One protester can be seen raising the Khalistani flag as the ambassador exited the Gurdwara.
WASHINGTON: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Nov 28th, 2023) The Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, faced disruption from pro-Khalistan activists during his visit to a gurdwara in New York, ultimately leading to his departure.
In viral videos circulating online, activists confronted Ambassador Sandhu, making references to attacks on Sikh activists Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Ambassador Sandhu's visit to the Gurunanak Darbar Gurdwara in Long Island, New York, on Sunday was intended for participation in Gurpurab celebrations, a significant festival for Sikhism followers.
The late Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in British Columbia on June 18, 2023. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attributed the assassination to India.
During the confrontation, activists questioned the Indian ambassador's involvement in the alleged failed attempt to assassinate Pannun. Himmat Singh, leading pro-Khalistan Sikhs at the Gurdwara, claimed that New Delhi had orchestrated the assassination of Mr. Nijjar, who was the president of Surrey Gurdwara in Canada and the coordinator for the Canadian chapter of Khalistan Referendum. Singh emphasized seeking answers regarding India's use of violence to suppress the global Khalistan Referendum voting.
The latest reports suggested that Washington had thwarted another Indian plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The White House, on Wednesday, expressed serious concern about the reported assassination attempt on American soil and raised the matter with the Indian government at the highest levels.
The Videos from the Gurdwara depict protesters chanting slogans against India's alleged suppression of the Sikh movement. One protester can be seen raising the Khalistani flag as the ambassador exited the Gurdwara.
Pro-Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun stated, “Ambassador Sandhu aborted his visit and fled the Hicksville Gurdwara in haste, embarrassed and without answering the questions raised by the pro-Khalistan Sikhs about his role in the assassination attempts.”
Pannun accused India of using mercenaries to hinder the Khalistan referendum voting and affirmed that despite the challenges, the voting process would continue. He announced the commencement of the American phase of the Khalistan Referendum on January 28, 2024, in San Francisco, California.
