By Rajnish Singh
New Delhi, Jul 25 (IANS): A day ahead of launching voter registration in Jammu and Kashmir for its online 'Referendum 2020' campaign, which seeks secession of Punjab from India, banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) group has activated a direct hotline from United States to woo people in the Valley infected with COVID-19.
Intelligence agencies have issued alerts across Jammu and Kashmir soon after the information leaked that the secessionist group has announced to give Rs 2,000 to every novel coronavirus infected persons in the Valley irrespective of their religion.
As per information, SFJ has offered financial support for four days between July 25 and July 28 -- an attempt to gain sympathy from residents of Jammu and Kashmir for its illegal 'Referendum 2020' agenda.
In its message to people of Jammu and Kashmir, who are affected by the coronavirus, the SFJ has asked them to contact the group at its COVID-19 Hotline via WhatsApp on +19175796400 or email at support@sikhsforjustice.org to get the aid.
The group, experts in the security wing suggest, wants to establish its base in Jammu and Kashmir and it recently gave a call to Sikhs residing in the Valley to support its online 'Referendum 2020' campaign beginning from July 26.
The SFJ, which was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in July last year for advocating 'Referendum 2020', moved towards Jammu and Kashmir to get support of people there after it failed to gain sympathy for 'Referendum 2020' voter registration in Punjab and Delhi earlier this month.
The action of the group followed inputs that the Sikh community across India has rejected the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sponsored propaganda of 'Referendum 2020'. The Pakistani intelligence agency ISI has been backing the malicious campaign launched by the SFJ as a large number of Pakistani Twitter handles have started tweeting in favour of the so-called 'Referendum'.
Dubbing Sikhs in Kashmir as "freedom fighters and Sikh soldiers", the US-based Khalistani radical outfit has urged them to support its most infamous agenda 'Referendum 2020'.
Intelligence reports suggest that the secessionist group has given a call to the Kashmiris in the Valley to support the July 26 opening of voter registration in Jammu and Kashmir.
The attempt is to get the support of the estimated three lakh Sikh population residing across Jammu and Kashmir.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the head of SFJ, had claimed that the group has planned to launch the July 26 voter registration for Punjab Independence Referendum in Jammu and Kashmir with "Ardaas" ceremonies from Gurudwara Chhati Patshahi in Srinagar and Gurudwara Simbal Camp in Jammu.
Pannun is among the nine pro-Khalistanis who were designated as terrorists by the Indian government earlier this month. US-based terrorist Pannun has been playing a major role in the 'Referendum 2020' campaign.
Pledging the SFJ's full support to the cause of holding a UN-approved plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, Pannun has urged the Kashmiri Sikhs to support Referendum 2020. The group claims that an "independent Khalistan will pave the way for freedom of Kashmir".
The SFJ launched similar voter registration on July 4 and 19 in Punjab and Delhi respectively through Russian and Canadian portals to propagate its anti-India agenda to demand Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs in Punjab.
The SFJ is supported by Pakistan-based handlers to provide money and logistical support to radical Sikh elements in Punjab to carry out subversive activities.
The SFJ is headed by Avtar Singh Pannun and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who have started advocating Khalistan as well as the online secessionist campaign for Referendum 2020.