India takes no cognisance of what fringe elements have to say: MEA on SFJ ban

Pro-Khalistan group The Sikhs for Justice has no traction within the mainstream Sikh community and India takes no cognisance of what fringe elements have to say, the External Affairs Ministry said.

US-based The Sikhs for Justice, which pushes for Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its separatist agenda, was on Wednesday banned by the government for its alleged anti-national activities.

Responding to a question on the ban, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said it SFJ is a fringe group involved in anti-India and subversive activities in Punjab and have supported violent forms of extremism.

"It is important to understand that the vast majority of Sikhs in Canada and other parts of world share warm relations with India. They want better relations with India and their country of residence and frankly we take no cognisance of what the fringe elements have to say which is meant to create disharmony and spread hate," he told reporters.

He said the group has "no traction" within the mainstream Sikh community and India will continue to make efforts to engage with Sikh community in Canada and other parts of the world.

Run by a few radical Sikhs of foreign nationality in the US, Canada, the UK, etc, SFJ was declared unlawful under the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Its primary objective is to establish an "independent and sovereign country" in Punjab.