New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) India is confident that the United Kingdom will go all out to tackle the Khalistan movement, which is rampant in the country. The sanctioning of British businessman Gurpreet Singh Rehal and the Babbar Akali Lehar (BAL) are signs of things to come in the UK, officials say.

The crackdown also comes in the wake of a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart, Kier Starmer, which was held in October. Prime Minister Modi had flagged the Khalistan issue and said that violent extremism should not be allowed to abuse the freedoms provided by societies.

Intelligence agencies that are working alongside their UK counterparts say that the action is significant since it aims at tightening the financial network of the Khalistan movement that is stemming out of the country. Interestingly, the UK, for the first time, used the Domestic Counter-Terrorism Regime against Singh.

Officials explained that many businessmen are funding the Khalistan movement. Under the garb of their businesses, these persons are facilitating the purchase of arms and also helping run online propaganda networks.

During various discussions at multiple levels, both India and the UK agreed that it is important to crack down on the financial networks. Huge amounts of funds are being pumped in by businessmen and sympathisers, which is keeping the movement alive.

An official said that the UK has understood that the Khalistanis are indulging in violence and, for years, got away under the garb of free speech.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the sanctions are a major boost for India. Choking the funds was important, and if such actions continue in the UK and Canada, then the Khalistan movement would be weakened significantly.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby, said, “We will not stand by while terrorists exploit Britain’s financial system. This landmark action shows we are prepared to use every tool at our disposal to choke off funding for terrorism – wherever it occurs and whoever is responsible. The UK stands firmly with peaceful communities against those who promote violence and hatred."

The information shared by India said that it is the likes of Singh who have been funding the Babbar Khalsa International’s (BKI) activities. The BKI has several businessmen under it, who have been instrumental in pumping money into the movement.

When asked what these businessmen gain, an official said that they are just doing it for the cause. These persons are firm believers that a separate Khalistan nation should be carved out of India. Indian officials have very often flagged concerns about the online propaganda that the Khalistanis run. Businessmen such as Singh have funded the Gurpatwant Singh-led Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for a long time.

The SFJ boss is extremely dangerous as he controls the narrative online and has also conducted several referendums seeking a Khalistan nation. He has also issued open threats to India and offered rewards for those who kill India’s Prime Minister and other senior leaders.

The aim is to kill the online propaganda, said an official, while adding that in order to do so, the finances have to be largely choked. One can expect more such action in the days to come, said another official.

The UK is in the process of identifying all such businessmen and then sanctioning them, the officer added. The idea is to first work on squeezing the funds that these Khalistanis are getting. Following this, action would be taken against those who are part of the real modules and the ones who are spreading a violent, radical ideology.

The UK has identified the BKI to be the biggest threat and would work stringently to eliminate the outfit in the country. The first step was to sanction the BAL, which is closely associated with the BKI. These actions come as a major blow to the BKI, and security officials hope that the group will soon be largely crippled.

The sanctions result in an immediate freeze of assets. The designation of the BLA means that all funds and economic resources in the UK, owned, held or controlled by them, stand frozen.

--IANS

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