New Delhi, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based leader of the Khalistan Movement, has called on the Sikh community in Indian Punjab to prevent Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from hoisting the Indian flag in Ludhiana on India’s Republic Day, January 26th. Pannun’s appeal is part of a broader push for the creation of an independent homeland for Sikhs, known as Khalistan.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Pannun, in a video message, accused the Punjab government of falsely labeling Sikh youngsters as gangsters and subsequently killing them in fake encounters. He also encouraged Sikh youth to contact him and register as voters for a referendum on Khalistan scheduled for the same day as India’s Republic Day.

Further intensifying his rhetoric, Pannun challenged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Republic Day function in Delhi without security. He indicated that Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the organization leading the Khalistan Movement and of which Pannun is a prominent leader, would respond to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar by raising the Khalistan flag.

Pannun’s call for action and his challenge to Prime Minister Modi reflect the ongoing tensions and the complex political landscape surrounding the Khalistan movement and its demand for an independent Sikh state separate from India.