As Amritpal Singh menace rises, Intel eyes his source of funding from Canada

The activation of the K2 Desk by the ISI was a major shift in strategy by Pakistan to revive the Khalistan movement and also keep Kashmir on the boil

The violence in Punjab last week by the followers of radical Sikh leader, Amritpal Singh has once again put the focus back on the links to the Khalistan movement from sources abroad.

Pakistan's ISI has been channelising the funds into Punjab to aide the revival of the Khalistan movement from the United States and Canada, Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia.

The funds are being largely used to carry out propaganda against India. An NIA probe into the gangster-terrorist nexus also revealed that funding had been used to orchestrate murders in Punjab. The modus operandi if one observes closely is similar to the one in the 80s, where a large number of non-Sikhs were killed in Punjab in a spate of targeted killings.

The official cited above also said that the likes of Amritpal Singh who is just a pawn in the hands of the ISI-controlled gangsters abroad is targeting the youth of Punjab to revive the movement. It is a well oiled mechanism, explains another official. While the gangsters based abroad are channelising the funds, organisations such as the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) carry out the propaganda.

The propaganda includes scribbling anti-India graffiti, carrying out campaigns on the social media and rewarding those who hoist the Khalistan flag outside government buildings. The SFJ had in fact announced a huge reward for the one who will pull down the tricolour from the Red Fort and hoist the Khalistan flag.

Experts say that the Punjab administration must play a more proactive role when it comes to Amritpal Singh. The problem needs to be acknowledged in an honest manner and the youth should not be allowed to get carried away by such movements, the experts also feel.

The clash at Ajnala, Punjab is a clear example of how badly the Punjab government has handled the situation. Amritpal's supporters who were armed with swords and guns clashed with the Punjab Police seeking the release of one Lovepreet Toofan. The police in fact gave into the protest and released Toofan. The excuse given by the police was that they did not want the situation to go out of control.

The Intelligence Bureau is also keeping a close watch on the online activities of the pro-Khalistan elements. It has been found that they are using VPNs located to Canada and Germany to spread anti-India sentiments. These posts get a huge amount of traction and the worry for the Indian agencies is that this could well radicalise the youth, who spend more time on the social media.

For the ISI this operation serves its purpose both in Kashmir as well as Punjab. This portal had reported that the ISI has activated its Kashmir-Khalistan or K2 Desk to carry out activities in Punjab and Kashmir. The K2 desk comprises the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KLF) and Jaish-e-Mohammad. While the plotting takes place in Pakistan, targeted killings of non-Sikhs and terror attacks by gangsters have been outsourced to the persons sitting in countries such as Canada, Germany and the United States.