India has demanded that the United States intervene forcefully against the pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which Indian authorities have designated as a terrorist organisation.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to declare SFJ a foreign terrorist organisation in accordance with US law during a meeting on March 17, 2025.
Singh emphasised how SFJ’s ties to Pakistan and its actions encouraging violence and secessionism in an effort to establish an independent Khalistan endanger India’s security and sovereignty.
Under the direction of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the SFJ mostly operates from the United States and has been connected to a number of anti-Indian activities, such as threats against Indian officials and attempts to stir up dissension within the Indian military.
Tulsi Gabbard was encouraged by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to declare the Khalistani separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) a terrorist organisation. The anti-Indian operations of SFJ on American soil, especially those headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the organization’s chief and a terrorist already listed under India’s Unlawful operations (Prevention) Act, worried Singh.
The SFJ has been linked to a number of illegal actions, such as targeting Hindu temples in the US and threatening Indian political figures.
Singh emphasised the connections between SFJ and other terrorist groups, such as Babbar Khalsa International and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
He underlined that in order to stop SFJ’s activities that endanger India’s national security, the US must act decisively against it. Following an alleged assassination plan against Pannun, which has attracted a lot of attention and scrutiny questioning India’s involvement—a claim that India has denied—this conversation takes place.
Singh and Gabbard’s meeting is a component of larger initiatives to improve strategic connections between the US and India, especially in the areas of defence and intelligence exchange. In order to strengthen resilience against common threats, the two leaders talked about ways to improve collaboration in cutting-edge defence technology and integrate defence industry supply chains.
In addition to discussing defence and intelligence collaboration, Singh and Gabbard’s conversation included more general strategic cooperation between the US and India.
In order to fight terrorism and maintain regional security, both presidents understood how critical it was to strengthen their collaboration. This discussion is especially important in light of recent pro-Khalistani demonstrations in the UK and Canada, which have caused New Delhi to worry about the security of its diplomats overseas.
