A recent video featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a known Khalistani extremist, has emerged in which he issues a threat to individuals planning to travel via Air India on November 19, warning that their “lives would be in danger.”
Pannun, who serves as the chief of the banned US-based organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), urged Sikh individuals to avoid traveling with Air India on November 19, as he claimed there would be a global blockade. He stated in the video, which surfaced on social media, “On November 19, do not use Air India for your travels, or you may face life-threatening risks.”
Additionally, Pannun asserted that Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport would be closed on November 19 and its name changed. He emphasized that this date coincided with the final match of the ongoing cricket World Cup.
On October 10, Pannun had previously issued threats, directing a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing a parallel to the Israel-Palestine conflict and warning of potential “reactions” in India. He stated, “People living under illegal occupation, from Punjab to Palestine, will respond, and violence can lead to further violence.”
Pannun, originally from Amritsar, has been under scrutiny by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) since 2019 when the agency filed its initial case against him. He stands accused of actively promoting and instigating acts of terrorism and creating fear and terror in Punjab and other regions of India through his threats and intimidation tactics.
Non-bailable warrants for Pannun’s arrest were issued by a special NIA court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a “Proclaimed Offender” (PO) on November 29 the previous year.