Khalistani terrorist Pannun threatens Mahakumbh Mela 2025 will be 'last' one, issues threat for 3 days (WATCH)

First Published Dec 24, 2024, 1:16 PM IST | Last Updated Dec 24, 2024, 1:16 PM IST

In a chilling video that has gone viral, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the US-based leader of the pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has issued a direct threat to disrupt the Mahakumbh Mela 2025. The controversial video, shared by Sputnik India, sees Pannun declaring that the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela will be the last one, and he called upon Khalistani supporters to take violent action against Hindutva during the event.

The Mahakumbh Mela, a massive religious gathering held every 12 years at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati river in India, is scheduled to take place from January 13 to February 26, 2025. Pannun specifically named three critical dates in his threat:

January 14, 2025 (Makar Sankranti)
January 29, 2025 (Mauni Amavasya)
February 3, 2025 (Basant Panchami)

Pannun, in the video, reiterated his demand for the creation of a separate Khalistan state and urged Khalistani sympathizers to "Kill Hindutva" during the Mahakumbh Mela as a form of retaliation for the deaths of three Khalistan Zindabad Force members on Monday in Pilibhit encounter.

The deaths of these three terrorists, identified as Varinder Singh alias Ravi, Gurvinder Singh, and Jashanpreet Singh, occurred in a police encounter in Pilibhit on December 18, 2024. The trio was involved in a grenade attack on a police post in Gurdaspur, Punjab.

The attack was claimed by the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), a Pakistan-based terror group that Pannun is associated with. The gunfight between the suspected terrorists and a joint police team from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab ended with the terrorists’ deaths after they opened fire on the police.

Two AK-47 rifles, two Glock pistols and a huge cache of ammunition were seized from them. Authorities have also pointed to the international linkages of the Khalistani terror module, with the three deceased militants allegedly being controlled by Pakistan-based Ranjeet Singh Nita and operated by Greece-based Jaswinder Singh Mannu.

This incident comes amidst rising concerns over Khalistani activities in India and world over. In July this year, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had extended the ban on Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), declaring it an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The group, founded in 2007, has been a major proponent of Khalistani separatism and has gained notoriety for its violent rhetoric and actions. Pannun was declared a terrorist in July 2020. The US has accused Indian officials of planning an assassination of the SFJ founder.

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