A major social media push has been given by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI through indirect funding routes to Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh from Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 on Monday.
Facebook and Instagram accounts are uploading thousands of pictures of purported suppression of Sikhs in India, they said.
They are advertised also and these ads can be seen in Canada, the UK, and Germany, said the sources.
According to the sources, these ads are designed in such a way that they are only going to the accounts of young Sikhs between 18-25 years of age.
They said these ads are targeted toward Sikh names and surnames like Singh, Kaur, etc. These ads are paid for and running for almost a year, they added.
They directly reach the targeted viewers in terms of showing atrocities, selling garments with images of Sikh atrocities, car accessories, etc, said the sources.
The intelligence sources said those involved are creating millions of dollars for funding. These ads are directly linking Sikh secessionist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale with Amritpal Singh, they said.
Waris Punjab De founder Amritpal is projected like Bhindrawale in walking, and talking, with a pagdi on his head, and he even poses like the militant leader who was killed in Operation Blue Star in 1984, they added.
The intelligence sources say that the comments in the posts are not organic Indian Punjabi comments but their language suggests they are from Pakistan’s Punjab province. In India, they can be seen only on using VPN with location as Canada, Germany, or the UK, they added.
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