The act of open support for Khalistani terrorists and extremists by the Canadian authorities and their like-minded political outfits in the West has emboldened Khalistanis in the United Kingdom as well. Evidently, on Saturday (30 September), unknown assailants allegedly fired shots at the car of Sikh restaurant owner, Harman Singh Kapoor, who had spoken against the Khalistan issue earlier this year.
Attack on Harman Singh Kapoor + family is ongoing. They are awaiting police as Khalistani extremists are thought to have shot at their vehicle in London. As feared the Canada row has emboldened extremists – we will see more of this. @metpoliceuk @ukhomeoffice @HCI_London pic.twitter.com/ArFRIL2z1v
— Charlotte Littlewood (@CharlotteFLit) September 30, 2023
As per the information received, the assailants seemingly Khalistanis had also vandalised parts of his properties in what seems to be two attacks within the span of a few hours against the family.
According to a UK-based Journalist and Researcher Charlotte Littlewood, the attack on Harman Singh Kapoor’s family is still ongoing and police have not provided them any kind of security cover or protection from Khalistani elements despite looming threats against them.
As per Littlewood, the family was in anticipation of police personnel hours after some unknown assailants, believed to be Khalistani extremists, fired shots at their vehicle in London. She emphasised that the Canada row has virtually emboldened the Khalistani extremists and it is feared that more such attacks could be seen in the near future.
She also questioned the UK Police for reportedly removing their panic alarm.
Earlier in the day, she had highlighted that Harman’s car was attacked by some unknown miscreants and covered in red paint.
This morning the Sikh Kapoor family woke up to their cars covered in red paint. The family went into hiding last year after they spoke up against Khalistani extremism. Despite almost daily rape and death threats the decision was made to remove their panic alarms.1/4 pic.twitter.com/4AnS3iPwjb
— Charlotte Littlewood (@CharlotteFLit) September 30, 2023
Notably, the family was forced to live in hiding after they were getting repeated death and rape threats against family members for speaking against Khalistani extremism, earlier this year.
It is being said that despite the fact that the family was receiving rape and death threats on a constant basis, the responsible authority decided to remove their panic alarms.
Apparently, today’s attack comes within days after the panic alarm was removed. Following the attack on their property, Harman’s family asserted that they would feel safer living in India as they felt that the establishment in the UK didn’t care for them.
Drawing attention to these attacks on Harman’s family, Littlewood asked, “Within days of the removal of the alarm, their property is targeted. They have so little trust now in policing and government they feel that the Khalistani extremists have a way of knowing their alarm system has been removed. Why?”
Claiming that this ‘was more of an Indian problem’, the security agencies in the UK have responded slowly to such attacks and at times have even indulged in victim blaming, insinuating that the family brought this on themselves.
Meanwhile, earlier in May 2023, OpIndia had highlighted how Harman Singh Kapoor, a Sikh restaurant owner in London, and his family had become the target of persistent threats since the time they uploaded a video about the Khalistan movement on social media.
The Khalistanis targeted his family despite several police guarantees of safety and specialised safety procedures. The family had been the target of three attacks and felt unsafe in London. Just days after the Khalistanis vandalised the Indian High Commission in London, pro-Khalistan supporters attacked Harman’s restaurant named ‘Rangrez, the Taste of Punjab’.
Afterward, Harman released a video that garnered two million views in just two days, which prompted threatening phone calls, online harassment, and social media trolls to target him and his family. Kapoor stated that the threats began after he posted a video on TikTok, in which he said, “This Khalistan movement started a while back and then it died down. Today again, a section of people who are settled in Canada, England, and Australia want Khalistan but those in India don’t want it. Those who need Khalistan should go back to India and ask for it.”
Harman said that after the video, he started getting death threats and that people started attacking his restaurant. He was threatened with death if he didn’t take down the video, shout pro-Khalistan, and burn the Indian flag.
The restaurant located in Hammersmith, West London, was also vandalised by the Khalistani elements in March in reaction to the video. Several men in masks and hoods had arrived at the restaurant, banged on the doors and asked those inside to come out and face them.
