LONDON: UK’s government has rubbished reports that have gone viral in Indian media saying that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has “struck Khalistani networks” in Britain and seized Rs 100 crore (£9 million) from more than 300 Khalistani bank accounts.
Scores of stories appeared online claiming that “in a sweeping crackdown” Sunak had seized more than 300 bank accounts belonging to Khalistani supporters in UK. They claimed that Rs 100 crore had been “confiscated”, with an additional 5,000 bank accounts of those that lead or support Khalistan movements under scrutiny, and that Rs 20 crore had been taken from a Sikhs for Justice account.
One story claimed that Sunak’s government had formed a special task force with the aim of dismantling the funding network of Khalistan supporters and had so far “uncovered suspicious transactions across Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand” and had even reached out to the FBI.
TOI put these stories to the UK home office. “A home office spokesperson said: “The home office does not recognise these claims.”
A govt official told TOI: “UK is proud of its diverse communities, and British Sikhs contribute immensely to the strength of our society. No form of extremism is acceptable in the UK, and we have a duty as govt to disrupt and counter violent, divisive ideologies, whatever their manifestation.”
Dabinderjit Singh, principal adviser of the Sikh Federation (UK), said: “When this news broke we were inundated with inquiries. We told everyone who asked it was almost certainly fake news… It was immediately brought to the attention of Tom Tugendhat, the UK security minister, as another example of the use of fake news from Indian media sources to promote transnational repression. The fact the UK govt and Indian authorities were silent added to our suspicion it was fake, but we have made clear to UK ministers and politicians they need to call out such fake news that only causes harm.”
Scores of stories appeared online claiming that “in a sweeping crackdown” Sunak had seized more than 300 bank accounts belonging to Khalistani supporters in UK. They claimed that Rs 100 crore had been “confiscated”, with an additional 5,000 bank accounts of those that lead or support Khalistan movements under scrutiny, and that Rs 20 crore had been taken from a Sikhs for Justice account.
One story claimed that Sunak’s government had formed a special task force with the aim of dismantling the funding network of Khalistan supporters and had so far “uncovered suspicious transactions across Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand” and had even reached out to the FBI.
TOI put these stories to the UK home office. “A home office spokesperson said: “The home office does not recognise these claims.”
A govt official told TOI: “UK is proud of its diverse communities, and British Sikhs contribute immensely to the strength of our society. No form of extremism is acceptable in the UK, and we have a duty as govt to disrupt and counter violent, divisive ideologies, whatever their manifestation.”
Dabinderjit Singh, principal adviser of the Sikh Federation (UK), said: “When this news broke we were inundated with inquiries. We told everyone who asked it was almost certainly fake news… It was immediately brought to the attention of Tom Tugendhat, the UK security minister, as another example of the use of fake news from Indian media sources to promote transnational repression. The fact the UK govt and Indian authorities were silent added to our suspicion it was fake, but we have made clear to UK ministers and politicians they need to call out such fake news that only causes harm.”
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