Former Pro-Khalistan Leader reveals Pakistan's Khalistan connect calling 'Khalistan Referendum' an ISI conspiracy

New Delhi, Mar 17: Terming attempts at Khalistan referendum in a few Western countries by an outfit banned by India as "pakhand" and a handiwork of Pakistan's ISI, Dal Khalsa founder Jaswant Singh Thekedar said that it is an attempt to mislead people and has nothing to do with Sikhs in India.

In an interview with ANI, Thekedar, who is UK-based Sikh separatist leader, also said Pakistan is the real enemy of Khalistan and "some Sikhs are working as tools" in hands of Pakistan government. He said people of Punjab are not demanding any referendum. "The referendum you are talking about, those in Punjab do not demand it. It's an organisation 2020, they talk of referendum on the instructions of ISI. Referendum does not mean... if Indian passport holders or Indian citizens want it then it is understandable, but it is not that Canadian, American or British people vote. They do not have any right," he said answering queries.

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"It is 'pakhand' (sham) to mislead people. People are understanding it a source of income for them," he added. Asked about reports last year of Khalistani slogans painted on walls of Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States last year, he said such an act had never been done. "It is not right (to write Khalistan Zindabad) on the consulate building. It was never done in the past, during the movement in the past 40 years. As I said, there is an ISI role in it. They are misleading them, hiring people and getting this done. There is no hand of Sikhs in this," he said.

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Besides, the founder of Dal Khalsa, Thekedar has lauded the work undertaken and accomplished by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the country's Sikh community, saying that he admires the community and has done a lot for its people. Thekedar said, "Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has done a lot for Sikhs and Sikhism. He loves our community. He has done a lot -- ended the blacklists, opened Kartarpur Corridor, and talked about Chhote Sahibzadas (the sons of Guru Gobind Singh)." "The government has worked on major demands, and only a few demands are left to be fulfilled. All will be good if they agree to meet these demands," he said.