Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has welcomed Canada’s decision not to recognise the results of the ‘Referendum 2020’ being organised by the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
The Chief Minister hoped other countries would also follow suit and reject the secessionist `Referendum 2020’, which the SFJ was promoting to allegedly divide India on communal lines.
Captain Amarinder was reacting to a media report quoting a spokesperson of the foreign ministry of Canada, who said, “Canada respects the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of India, and the Government of Canada will not recognise the referendum.”
The Chief Minister said the categorical stand taken by the Justin Trudeau government on the issue is exemplary and other nations and governments should also come out openly against SFJ, which has been banned by India as a terrorist organisation and whose founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu has been declared a terrorist for actively promoting Pakistan-backed terror activities on Indian soil.
Captain Amarinder said that failure to openly oppose the separatist SFJ could set a dangerous precedent for any country as it could be seen as a case of covert support to an organisation that is freely propagating secessionist activities.
It was in the interest of global peace and security to reject forces that are bent on spreading terror, he said, adding that Sikhs in Punjab had categorically rejected SFJ’s pro-Khalistan movement, which the outfit was spreading at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI.
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