Khalistani terrorist Pannun threatens to attack Parliament citing Afzal Guru
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has issued a threat to "shake the very foundations of Parliament" on or before December 13, the anniversary of the 2001 attack on Parliament. Pannun, who holds dual citizenship in the United States (US) and Canada, released a video displaying a poster featuring his image alongside Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, with the caption "Delhi Banega Khalistan." In response to the threat, Indian security agencies and the Delhi Police have ramped up security measures.
Why does this story matter?
Last month, the Financial Times reported that the US foiled an attack on Pannun on its soil and raised concern about India's potential involvement in the plot. India formed a committee to investigate the inputs, which it said were regarding a nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, and terrorists. Similarly, in September, Canada accused India of being involved in designated Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing on its soil. The allegations, which India rejected, resulted in bilateral ties nosediving.
Pannun hinted at attack on Republic Day
Pannun has repeatedly issued threats against India. Soon after the report of his alleged failed assassination, he hinted at a terror attack on Delhi on January 26, terming India's Republic Day "D-Day" and the Red Fort "ground zero." Weeks before that, he threatened to blow up an Air India flight, which is under investigation. He also dared the Indian government to declare open armed conflict with Punjab while calling for the "liberation of Punjab from the Indian occupation."
Pro-Khalistan elements target Indian diplomats
Following the failed assassination attempt, pro-Khalistan supporters confronted India's ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, in New York, accusing him of being involved in a supposed plot to assassinate Pannun. This incident came after a similar event in Scotland, where Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, was barred from entering a gurdwara by Khalistanis. Pannun's Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) previously put up hoardings calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar "enemies of Canada."
US presses on bringing plotter to justice
US Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer pressed on bringing the plotters of Pannun's alleged foiled assassination to justice during his meeting with his Indian counterpart Vikram Misri and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra earlier this week. Last week, US authorities indicted Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national suspected of being involved in the alleged plot to kill Pannun. Gupta was detained by Czech authorities at Prague airport on June 30 and handed over to US authorities around November first week.
US thwarts assassination bid on Pannun; India accused
The indictment alleged that an Indian intelligence official enlisted Gupta to hire a hitman to kill Pannun, among others. However, the purported hitman was an undercover cop. US authorities alleged that the foiled plot was part of a larger campaign of planned killings in the US and Canada. The plan was to target at least four individuals by June 29 and then more later. Nijjar, also a designated terrorist like Pannun, was killed on June 18.
What happened on December 13, 2001?
On December 13, 2001, five Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives infiltrated the Parliament complex in a car. The armed terrorists killed eight security personnel and a gardener before being shot down. Afzal Guru—a terrorist who surrendered in 2000—was convicted and hanged in 2013 for the attack. Guru accused former Jammu and Kashmir DSP Davinder Singh of being involved in the conspiracy to attack Parliament. In 2020, Singh was arrested while allegedly ferrying two Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT militants with arms.
