Hardeep Singh Nijjar denies that Indian government's lies are all as fabrication, saying that he is simply involved in the Sikh struggle to get justice for the Indian government backed atrocities against Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere in India and that he is being targeted for his work in championing human rights and Sikh causes. “I am being targeted and framed in false criminal cases by Indian authorities for my relentless campaign against the genocidal violence against the Sikhs and continuous support for Referendum 2020 to liberate Punjab and create separate Sikh country Khalistan,” Nijjar said.

By R. Paul Dhillon

With News Files

SURREY – Well known "Khalistani" (there is nothing wrong with being one) Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a was questioned by Surrey RCMP a day before the Vancouver  Vaiskahi Parade on April 14 where the Indian Consul General was scheduled to speak.

According to a number of media in India, Nijjar was picked up last Friday, questioned briefly and then released without any charges.

Nijjar's name was on the list handed over to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on the former’s troubled and much marred visit to India in February.

Indian authorities claim that Nijjar had a hand in terror-related cases against him in Punjab, including in the 2010 Satya Narayan Temple blasts in Patiala.

But Nijjar denies it all as fabrication, saying that he is simply involved in the Sikh struggle to get justice for the Indian government backed atrocities against Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere in India and that he is being targeted for his work in championing human rights and Sikh causes.

“I am being targeted and framed in false criminal cases by Indian authorities for my relentless campaign against the genocidal violence against the Sikhs and continuous support for Referendum 2020 to liberate Punjab and create separate Sikh country Khalistan,” Nijjar told the Hindustan Times.

Nijjar might be right as Punjab and India has already jailed an innocent foreign-based Sikh – UK's Jaggi Johal, who has been tortured and jailed without any charges in the same scenario of accusing foreign based Sikh activists with trumped up charges without any solid evidence.

Nijjar, who is receiving legal support from Canada-based outfit ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ), said this is a witch hunt by the Indian government against Sikhs.

 Sikhs for Justice said that they will defend Nijjar against any charges.

“Rights advocacy group ‘Sikhs for Justice’… will defend Candian Sikh Separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar against the Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by Interpol at the behest of the Indian Government,” a statement from SFJ said.

 “We have full faith in Canadian legal system which is not going to succumb to Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh’s pressure to stop Nijjar, who is supporting the Khalistan movement democratically. Nijjar is being termed as a “terrorist” and framed in false cases only because he is engaged in a political campaign for a referendum in Indian Occupied Punjab. We will defend Nijjar against any attempt to extradite him to India,” said SFJ’s legal advisor and New York based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is representing Nijjar in the case.

According to Indian media, Nijjar is also being represented by well known legal-beagle Richard Peck's Vancouver-based law firm Peck and Company. Peck has represented many high profile Indo-Canadians including Air India bombing accused Ajaib Singh Bagri, gangster Bindy Johal and recently Punjabi radio man Maninder Gill in his shooting case, which is still ongoing.

Pannun, who is representing Nijjar with regard to possible action based on a Red Corner Notice from Interpol, said, “He was never charged with any crime, and released unconditionally, at least as of right now.”

Along with Malkeet Singh Fauji, who also on the list given to the Canadian government, Nijjar had participated in SFJ’s ‘Punjab Referendum 2020’ conference in a suburb of Toronto on March 31. He was also the principal organiser of SFJ’s extensive presence at the Surrey Nagar Kirtan last weekend.