The founder Pro Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun also demanded for Khalistan after Rahul Gandhi gave his remarks on the issues faced by Sikhs in India. Pannun applauded Gandhi on the statement that Gandhi made which seemingly postures the existence of Sikhs and other religious communities as threatened, and labelled it as downright brave borne out of historical marginalization. He also said that Gandhi’s comments were consistent with some of the reasons put forward by SFJ for the Punjab Independence Referendum to form Khalistan.
When Gandhi mingling with the Indian community in Virginia, he told the audience that the struggle in India is not of mere politics but whether Sikhs would be able to wear the turban or kada and visit gurdwaras.
In response to these remarks, Hardeep Singh Puri, a Union Minister of the Indian government nodded at Ms. Gandhi while reminding her of the anti-Sikh riots that took place in 1984. Puri said that Sikhs really understand a genocide idea when they got one under Congress government during those riots. He castigated Gandhi for telling a “fear narrative” to the Indian diaspora which he described as ‘feecharistic’ and ‘kooltaar’ barbs as he said that Gandhi who is the Leader of the Opposition is nothing but running a witch-hunt against the government from abroad.
The controversy continues to show how issues of the Sikh identity are complex when politicized and in consideration of the political histories existing around this subject.
