New Delhi, Jan 2 : A poster has been in circulation in Milan, Italy, calling for a lockdown by the pro-Khalistan elements. While one was aware of the presence of Khalistanis in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia, the poster featuring a protest in Italy signals a new shift.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that intercepts clearly suggest the Khalistanis are attempting to expand into more countries, thereby increasing the reach of their messaging. There is a clear attempt being made to project a transnational narrative relating to the Khalistan movement.

While the broader messaging is all about the creation of a separate Khalistan nation carved out of Punjab, the new poster also speaks about the situation in Bangladesh. The protest or lockdown in Milan is being promoted by Jagroop Singh and Gurpal Singh, who are part of the proscribed outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). This is the group that is heading the propaganda wing of the Khalistan movement. It has been responsible for the various referendums that have been held in Canada, the UK, and Australia.

The SFJ is headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who has on many occasions called for the assassination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while also circulating videos in which he has shown the Indian national flag being desecrated. The organisers of this protest have linked the killing of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar with the murder of anti-India student leader, Osman Hadi. The Khalistan elements had blamed the Indian agencies for the killing of Nijjar in Canada.

Even after the killing of Hadi, a narrative was built up stating that it was India that was behind the murder. The linking of the two cases by the Khalistani elements clearly shows that they are playing the script written by the ISI. These elements are trying to get the attention of the international audience, to suggest that India has been meddling in the affairs of other countries and carrying out extrajudicial killings.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that this is clearly the doing of the ISI. Both the murders of Nijjar and Hadi are clearly an ISI hit job. The ISI was aware that both these persons were anti-India. After carrying out the hit job, the ISI is clearly trying to spread a narrative that India was behind both these murders.

The event in Milan is yet to take place, and the agencies are on high-alert to prevent the same. Indian officials say that the expansion into Milan shows how the Khalistan movement is trying to expand. It is also a sign of an evolving strategy.

The ISI-backed Khalistanis are aware that the heat on them is rising, especially in Canada and the UK. They have already been making inroads in Australia and now want to enter Italy as well. Officials say that these elements would try to enter other countries as well. They are waging a narrative war against India and hope they will get support from as many countries as possible.

Indian Intelligence agencies have found a surge in the number of propaganda materials being circulated on social media. This is the first time that the Khalistanis have brought up the Bangladesh issue. This has been done at the insistence of the ISI, which wants to defame India in as many countries as possible.

In the run-up to the elections in Bangladesh, more such attempts would be made, and the ISI would use the Khalistanis even more. The idea is also to create an impression in the minds of the Bangladeshis that all their problems are courtesy of India.

/IANS