British MP of Indian origin raised the issue of ‘targeting of Sikhs by Indian agents’ in the UK Parliament

British Sikh MP Preet Kaur Gill has raised the issue of international repression and India-linked agents targeting members of the Sikh community in Britain during the House of Commons session.

Claiming that many British Sikhs have appeared on the “hit list”, the Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health asked Security Minister Tom Tugendhat about the steps taken by the British government to deal with the issue.

Speaking during a House of Commons session this week, Gill – without naming anyone – referred to alleged assassination plots against Sikhs abroad to ask about security steps for “British Sikh activists”.

“In recent months, the Five Eyes countries have expressed concern over the actions of agents linked to India targeting Sikh activists in the United Kingdom,” Gill said on Monday.

Five Eyes refers to an intelligence alliance consisting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK.

“What is most disturbing is that alleged murders have taken place and murder plots have been foiled. US and Canadian officials have taken the initiative at senior levels to publicly challenge this threat to their sovereignty, the rule of law and their democratic values, the Labor MP said.

“Given reports of British Sikhs facing similar threats, what steps is the government taking to protect them? Will the minister publicly show the same strength as our partners in defending their democratic rights,” he asked.

Responding during a Home Office question session in Parliament, Tugendhat said his department is constantly assessing potential threats to individual rights and freedoms and security across the UK.

“Let me be perfectly clear. If there is a specific threat against a British citizen by a foreign power, we will take immediate action. The Sikh community must be safe like every other community in the United Kingdom,” the minister said.

“All British citizens are equal, regardless of their colour, religion, belief or political allegiance. The reality is that we have taken all action that we feel is appropriate at this stage. We certainly maintain very close relationships with our Five Eyes partners, and we are absolutely clear that if the situation changes and we need to take action, we will do so,” he said.

In September last year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had announced that authorities were pursuing “credible allegations” that agents of the Indian government may have arrested Khalistan Tiger Force chief and a designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June 2023. Were involved in the murder.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly rejected the allegation as “absurd and motivated” and the issue created a major diplomatic row between India and Canada.

In November last year, US authorities in New York had charged an Indian man allegedly linked to a government official with conspiring to murder American-Canadian national Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is also a designated terrorist in India.

The Ministry of External Affairs said at the time that the issue was “a matter of concern” and “contrary to government policy”.