The Indian government, in close coordination with the Punjab government, appeared to have tightened the noose around pro-Khalistani sympathisers.
In its crackdown on the pro-Khalistani group Waris Punjab De (WPD) and its chief, Amritpal Singh, which has created an atmosphere of terror in Punjab with the attack on Ajnala Police Station last month, India also blocked several Twitter accounts of various Khalistani supporters.
Among the prominent names whose accounts have been suspended are anti-Indian Canadian lawmaker Jagmeet Singh, Canada-based activist Gurpreet S Sahota, poet Rupi Kaur and the voluntary organization United Sikhs.
Earlier, the Twitter account of Member of Parliament from Sangrur, Simranjit Singh Mann, was also suspended by the microblogging website.
The move comes amid rising activities by pro-Khalistani ultras who were targeting Indian embassies and consulates in the UK, Australia and the US where they were seen pulling down the Indian national flag.
While the Punjab Police were hot on the heels of WPD chief Amritpal Singh, social media got into active mode with pro-Khalistani supporters voicing their support for the radical preacher.
An analysis of tweets reveals the West’s role in pushing forth the anti-India propaganda that gives impetus to the Khalistani narrative, with key players of his nexus stationed in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The analysis of tweets in support of Amritpal exposed the nexus fanning the propaganda as part of their larger goal of gaining a foothold in Punjab.
Pro-Amritpal online propaganda campaign involves fake accounts, Khalistani elements, so-called human rights advocates, and politicians from the US, UK, and Canada – which has emerged as an operational base for the Khalistanis.
Canadian politicians, in particular, are heavily supporting Amritpal Singh in the garb of human rights violations.
The pro-Amritpal campaign includes thousands of accounts from Canada and the US, including Canadian MPs Jasraj Singh Hallan and Tim S Uppal and some pro-Khalistani media outlets like Baaz.