The central government has banned the outlawed extremist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which was accused of carrying out separatist activities in India. Reports from intelligence agencies stated that SFJ was trying to provoke violence and support secessionist movements in different regions of the country. The group's leaders, including its head, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, were said to have been recruiting members from various communities, such as Muslims, Tamils, and Christians, for their separatist agenda.
SFJ was said to have targeted Manipuri Christians, urging them to join in their call for a separate state, while also trying to redirect the ethnic conflict between the Kukis and Meiteis in the region. Intelligence agencies claimed that SFJ was attempting to incite calls for Tamil separatism, seeking to form a separate state, “Dravidasthan,” from Tamil Nadu. Additionally, SFJ allegedly encouraged the formation of an independent Muslim state, “Urduistan,” for Muslims in the region.
The group is believed to have been funded by Pakistan, and it collaborated with various factions, such as militant and gangster organizations, to fulfill its goals. SFJ's strategy was the formation of Khalistan, a state that was exclusively for Sikh religious followers, which they intended to form by breaking India into smaller, weaker regions. Intelligence agencies reported that SFJ was also in contact with separatist forces in Kashmir.
Reports indicated that the operations of SFJ instigated chaos within Punjab and Haryana, particularly in cases where they protested over farm bills. According to these reports, the group was even said to be involved in such movements. Its final aim, according to these reports, was to establish a Sikh state as well as collaborate with other groups in different regions, such as Dalits, among many others, to further destabilize India.
It was also pointed out by the government that SFJ was secretly attempting to target leading political personalities and civil servants, even students who were abroad studying, for propaganda and criminal acts. For example, SFJ had attempted to circulate images of Indian diplomats and provoke attacks against them.
As part of their ongoing efforts, the Indian government has extended the ban on SFJ for another five years, emphasizing the threat posed by this group and its allies in efforts to divide and destabilize the country.