New Delhi: Intelligence agencies have issued a high-level alert after detecting a strategic shift in pro-Khalistan operations, warning that activities may expand beyond Punjab amid reports of multiple related incidents.
While these elements have been carrying out low-intensity attacks in Punjab, they have also been engaging think tanks and funding pressure groups to advocate their cause for a so-called Khalistan nation.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that these elements are not sticking to the basics in their previous phase of the movement. Unlike the 1980s and 1990s, when the focus was entirely on carrying out large-scale attacks in Punjab, this time around, there is heavy emphasis on propaganda.
The official said the recent low-intensity attacks and bomb threats sent to the Delhi Mayor were diversionary tactics aimed at keeping security agencies focused on a single front.
“The objective is to keep the situation simmering and divert attention, while the actual intent is to execute a much larger operation, potentially on the scale of the Kanishka bombing,” he said.
The Kanishka bombings were one of the biggest operations that the Khalistan elements have carried out. A bomb was planted by operatives of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) on the Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985. The plane exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 on board.
An official said that intelligence and security agencies are maintaining a close watch on Punjab due to the frequent occurrence of minor incidents linked to Khalistan elements. He noted that a review of the operational pattern shows that most of these incidents have so far been relatively low-level in nature.
Further, these elements have been organising referendums and conducting seminars through their ties with various think tanks and pressure groups to build a narrative. “Their objective is to portray India as failing to safeguard the human rights of Sikhs while simultaneously seeking to rally international support for the demand for a separate Khalistan nation carved out of Punjab,” the officials said.
These groups have allegedly roped in gangsters whose activities keep security agencies occupied on multiple fronts. According to officials, these operatives have been tasked with targeting Indian interests overseas and have also been linked to attacks and intimidation directed at members of the Indian community abroad.
Another official said that the pattern of operations suggests an attempt to create multiple distractions while preparing for a larger strike. The BKI, which has been instructed by Pakistan’s ISI to take the lead role when it comes to Khalistani terror, is looking to execute a high-impact operation.
“The plan is to carry out either a major assassination or a hijack and even a bombing on the lines of the Kanishka incident,” the official added.
The official further said that the coordination with international players is very important, considering what the Khalistanis are planning. The attack may not necessarily have to take place in India, as the agencies are very alert and are tracking their activities closely.
The issue is that the BKI is planning something big abroad with the clear intention of hurting Indian interests. Such an attack is also being planned with the intention of derailing India’s ties with Canada and the United Kingdom, another official stated.
The agencies warn that this is one of the most crucial and dangerous phases when it comes to dealing with the Khalistan movement. They have not succeeded in recruitment in Punjab. Most of the narcotics that are being brought in by them are being busted by the agencies. Their propaganda campaign has failed to gain the traction they had anticipated in Punjab. At the same time, BKI is said to be facing intense pressure from the ISI to deliver tangible results.
Several Khalistani operatives found refuge with the ISI after the movement was largely suppressed in India. The intelligence assessment suggests that the Pakistani spy agency is now seeking a return on that support, placing increased pressure on these groups. Officials believe that these developments have left Khalistani terror outfits in a state of growing desperation, raising concerns that they may attempt a high-impact operation to reassert their relevance.
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–IANS
