A dramatic video featuring a violent altercation between two rival Khalistani factions is making the rounds on social media. Several individuals could be observed hitting one another while the security officials attempted to contain the situation. Khalistani flags are also being displayed by those taking part in the unrest. The incident transpired on 28th January during the Khalistani referendum in California’s San Francisco which was arranged by terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his outlawed pro-separatist organisation, Sikhs For Justice.
Two groups reportedly dominate the Khalistan narrative, Major Singh Nijjar gang and Sarabjit Singh (Sabi) gang. It is reported that the former is being marginalised by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his outfit while the latter is being promoted which led to the violent encounter.
Violent clash during the so-called "Khalistan referendum" in San Francisco involving rival gangs, with Major Singh Nijjar's group sidelined by Pannu, and SFJ promoting the Sabi gang. The vdo from 28th January. pic.twitter.com/Q9VsyflHPI
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) February 3, 2024
Thousands of supporters of Khalistani independence gathered in the city in vehicles, buses, and trains while waving their flags and casting their ballots for their separate nation. The vote asks whether Punjab, an Indian state with a large Sikh population should secede and become Khalistan, an independent country. However, it is a futile exercise supported by anti-Indian forces and designed to create a ruckus without producing any tangible outcomes.
Notably, the ballot proposal known as the “Khalistan referendum” is nonbinding which means that even if the majority of voters support independence, it won’t ensure the creation of a new country. These events are planned by Khalistanis and take place in various cities on various dates, where radicals turn up to cast ballots in the absence of an actual result.
Khalistanis resorted to an arson attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco on 2nd July last year. According to reports, the fundamentalists set fire to the structure between 1:30 and 2:30 in the morning. The staff members, however, escaped uninjured and the damage was confined. The San Francisco Fire Department put out the fire swiftly. The occurrence was also reported to the federal, state and local authorities.
