On March 29, a clip from a June 2022 interview of Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann went viral on social media in which he admitted to giving letters to asylum seekers for permanent residency in other countries. He claimed to have issued 50,000 such letters for approx Rs 35,000 per letter. “Did not charge family members of martyrs or poor families,” he added.
Notably, an asylum seeker racket was busted in Canada and the United States in June 2022, in which Simranjit Singh Mann’s name appeared. As per an exclusive report by Business Line, a section of people from Punjab had produced letters in those countries seeking asylum. The letters were issued by Simranjit Singh Mann, portraying them as ‘victims of state persecution’.
Massive #Khalistan Asylum FRAUD!@SimranjitSADA who is himself sitting in 🇮🇳’s highest Parliament confesses in a Pbi interview that for a price he issues letter with which illegal immigrants get asylum status.
— Puneet Sahani (@puneet_sahani) March 29, 2023
Fraud apart also a #terrorism threat!
Plz tag immigration authorities! pic.twitter.com/WyK4M9Vf4g
Mann, who is the chief of the political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), was also projected as a victim of state persecution. Business Line noted that the party mentioned in a 2021 letter issued to an asylum seeker that its “own president Simranjit Singh Mann has been suffering at the hands of the Indian government, and many other party workers have fled from India to avoid future prosecution”. The letter issued to a man from Jalandhar claimed that he was a party member before leaving India in 2014 and should be given political asylum. The letter was signed by Varinder Singh Sekhon, the party’s then-national Vice President (youth).
At that time, Simranjit Singh Mann claimed in an interview that the letters issued by the party were genuine. However, in the interview with Pro Punjab, Mann said, “Yes, I issue such letters. It is for the benefit of those who are seeking an opportunity to settle abroad. No, it is not for free. They spend around 30 lakhs to go to a foreign country for a better future. They can give my party Rs 35,000. I do not keep the funds. They are used to run the party. We do not take money from low-income families and family members of martyrs.”
The dream of Khalistan
Mann claims to belong to the second-richest Sikh family before partition. Speaking about his demand to create Khalistan, he said at the time of the partition, no one, including Gandhi and Nehru, supported Sikhs. Remembering an incident involving his relative Joginder Singh and Master Tara Singh, Mann claimed that his uncle warned Tara Singh about joining hands with Hindus for independence. By the time Sikhs realised they should get a separate nation, it was too late.
He said, “My uncle asked Tara Singh after father’s death, does the elder gives a share in the property to the younger ones easily? How could he think of siding with Hindus? Tara Singh wanted to help Hindus to remove the British from India. Later, Balwant Singh Khokhar first gave the idea of Khalistan in 1946, but it was too late by then. Sikhs in India are slaves of Hindus, and Sikhs in Pakistan are slaves of Muslims.”
He mentioned discussing partition with Muslims visiting a holy shrine in his area. He said, “I asked them how they can be happy after leaving their properties in India. They told me they were happy that they got a place based on their religion to live. This is what matters, ‘Kaumi Ghar’.”
Though Mann was an IPS officer, he claimed to have no feelings for the country. “I became IPS, but I was never satisfied with what I got. I am not proud of this country. I never said ‘Jai Hind’. Once, an MLA met me and greeted me with ‘Jai Hind’. I warned him to either use Good Morning and Good Afternoon to greet or never return.”
During the interview, he said that the allegations against him that he killed Naxals as a police officer were wrong. “It was some other Mann. I saved Naxals from the local police. The cowards are killing innocents deeming them Naxals. Who is speaking for them? No one other than me”, he said.
‘Bhindranwale asked me to stay away during Operation Blue Star’
Remembering his meeting with Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Mann said Bhindranwale was his idol. He admitted to meeting him several times. He said, “My family was always in favour of Khalistan. I met Bhindranwale several times and was happy that someone was talking about the demands of Khalistan.” He said there are no books or written factual material on Bhindranwale. Comparing General Niyazi and Bhindranwale, he said, “Niyazi surrendered though he had over 90,000 soldiers with him. On the other hand, Bhindranwale suffered over 70 bullet injuries before collapsing. The fight for Khalistan should never stop.”
He mentioned when Operation Blue Star happened, Bhindranwale instructed him not to take part in it. “I was asked by him [Bhindranwale] to stay away. No, he did not assign me any work. I am doing what I feel right.” Almost ten days after the completion of Operation Blue Star, Mann resigned from his position as an IPS officer. Mann refused to participate in any matter involving Operation Blue Star and its aftermath.
Mann claimed he managed to avoid legal cases as he was always truthful and never chose violence. Quoting the Supreme Court judgment where they said it was not wrong if someone talked about Khalistan, he said, “We need to keep fighting. Are we weaker than Hindus that we back off from the demand of Khalistan?”
‘Geopolitical situation will help in Khalistan’s creation’
When asked if Khalistan can be achieved, he said, “I am a public representative. There is no reason not to raise my voice for Khalistan in front of the government. Talks may not lead to the formation of Khalistan, but what was achieved when guns were used?” He added that geopolitical situations make it possible to create new nations. Citing the example of the aftermath of World War I, where new nations were created, he said, “The political situation can change anytime that will catalyse the process of creating Khalistan.”
Mann claimed he never wanted to become Chief Minister of Punjab. He wants to become the Prime Minister of Khalistan. He added, “I never wrote Indian as my nationality. I always write Sikh. No one has ever objected. That means they admit Sikh is a nationality.”
‘Modi/RSS placing shivlings in mosques’
When asked if he was religious, he said, “I am, but not like Modi and RSS, who put Shivlings in mosques and claim they used to be temples. They are attacking Sikhs and Christians.” Possibly talking about the Gyanwapi disputed structure case, Mann cleverly sided with Muslims and blamed Hindus. Interestingly, anyone can look at the disputed structure once and see it was built on a temple.
Calling Ukraine a poor nation, he said Sikhs should have been allowed to go and fight for Ukraine as it is a poor country. “Recently, I questioned the government if Ukraine can fight for months against a large nation like Russia, why is our government not capable of fighting China? Why they gave away 900 KMs of land to China in 2020?”
Rejecting the claims that the US was involved in ending the Tamil separatist movement in Sri Lanka, he said, “America was not involved. It is okay to take help from America. Whoever is willing to help [to create Khalistan], we should take it.”
Pro-Khalistani separatist leader Amritpal Singh and his associates are linked to Simranjit Singh. Amritpal Singh’s associate Daljit Kalsi helped Mann in his political campaign.
