On March 28, a video surfaced on YouTube in which a group of pro-Khalistani Sikhs accused the Craigieburn Gurudwara committee members of calling the Police on them. As per reports, the committee members had called the Police as they felt threatened by the behaviour of the pro-Khalistani group that was scheduled to hold a function inside Gurudwara premises.
Australian Hindu Media (AHM), the media wing of the Australian Hindu Association, identified a few of the people in the video as Gurbax Singh Bains, Charanjit Singh, Kuldip Singh and Gurvinder Singh Randhawa. A man armed with a sword accused the committee members of committing sacrilege against the Gurus and weapons of Sikhism.
The man dressed as Nihang said they were scheduled to organize a pro-Khalistan event in the Gurudwara, and similar events were organized in other Gurudwaras in Australia earlier. However, this time they were stopped by the Gurudwara Committee. He asked a Sikh woman present in the group to explain what had happened.
The woman said they came to the Gurudwara peacefully, but the committee members allegedly got scared by the Nihang Sikh, who was carrying a large sword. They did not allow them to hold the event and asked them to keep quiet as Kirtan was going on on the premises. While the Kirtan was going on, the committee members called the Police, that on arrival, informed them that they had to leave as the committee members felt threatened.
She also alleged that the Police officers were stopped by them as they were about to enter the premises while wearing shoes. She said, “Police were guided by three committee members to walk upstairs to the Darbar Sahib of the Gurudwara. The Police were wearing shoes.” She claimed one of her group members stopped the Police and informed them it was against their faith to enter Darbar Sahib wearing shoes.
After she explained the alleged incident, the Nihang Sikh ranted against the Hindu Media reporter. He was furious as the news portal deemed Deep Sidhu a terror accused and called pro-Khalistani groups ‘Sikh terrorists’. He further claimed that his group was going to celebrate Khalistan Day on April 30.
According to Hindu Media, Gurbax Singh Bains deemed Deep Sidhu as right and alleged there was a threat to the existence of the Sikh community. Kuldip Singh Bassi alleged that the Gurudwara committee was trying to suppress their voice. He said, “This has happened to us in India, and we have lost our people.” He further claimed they were fighting for azaadi (freedom), and they would attain it. He was possibly referring to the demand for a separate nation of Khalistan for Sikhs.
Australian Gurudwaras helped to organize pro-Khalistani events
On February 28, it was reported that four Victorian Gurudwaras had jointly planned a pro-Khalistani, anti-India and anti-Hindu event that took place on February 20, 2022, in Australia in the memory of Khalistani supporter Deep Sidhu. Sidhu, a Punjabi actor and one of the accused in the 2021 Republic Day riots, had recently died in a road accident.
On February 20 2022, a Sikh Gurudwara in Australia showcased an Anti-India/Hindu poster blatantly in between two so-called Khalistan flags. The poster had hate-filled slogans like ‘End Hindu Fascism’ and ‘India kills Sikhs’ printed on it. It also bore the image of the deceased Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, one of the accused in the 2021 Republic Day riots. The poster was found hanging at the entrance of the Craigieburn Sikh Gurudwara in Australia.
Australian pro-Khalistani had fought with pro-India groups
There have been several reports of a clash between pro-Khalistani and pro-India groups in Australia. An Indian identified as Vishal Jood was sent to Jail for standing against pro-Khalistani elements in Australia last year. He had pleaded guilty to three minor charges of altercations that happened between September 16, 2020, and February 14, 2021. During the final hearing, Vishal’s lawyer presented video evidence to prove that Jood was provoked by a group of Khalistanis that led to the altercation. For the charges he pleaded guilty to, Jood was sentenced to six months in Jail starting from the day of his arrest, April 16, 2021. OpIndia’s conversation with Jood can be checked here.
