MELBOURNE: Several people were injured in a bloody clash between pro-Khalistan activists and BJP-RSS supporters outside the Shaheed Sawant Singh-Shaheed Kihar Singh Khalistan Referendum Voting Centre.
Police had to pepper spray five protesters to break up clashes in the middle of the street outside the center, which caused traffic disruptions and chaos.
At mid-day, as thousands of people lined up to vote in favor of the Khalistan referendum, a group of Hindu men belonging to the local BJP waved Indian flags at the center to disrupt the voting process. came out They were carrying sticks with Indian flags and shouting slogans against Khalistan movement and Sikhs.
Several videos circulating in the media show at least two people with head injuries. A video shows a man bleeding while a police officer stands by his side. A witness said the man with his group of three started fighting with Sikh voters outside the centre. “The group started using abusive language and then the Sikhs repulsed the attack. In the fight, two men were injured while the other two fled the scene,” said an eyewitness. was bleeding profusely and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
In another incident, a video went viral showing a man with an Indian tricolor attacking Sikh voters and then being pushed back. The footage shows him fleeing the scene on foot, leaving his accomplice behind in the car, and disappearing after the Sikh youths retaliated.
There were reports of a third clash near Flinders Street station where Sikhs queued throughout the day at the voting centre. According to eyewitnesses, a third group of BJP-RSS-affiliated men abused the Sikh voters who retaliated and the assailants fled. Local eyewitnesses said that there was no loss of life.
The Council General of Sikhs for Justice, Group Tunat Singh Pinan, condemned the attack on Shaheed Sawant Singh-Shaheed Kehar Singh Khalistan Referendum Voting Center.
“The Hindu supremacist attack to disrupt the peaceful and democratic Khalistan referendum vote in Melbourne has the support of the Indian High Commissioner and exposes the seeds of hatred for divisive political gains,” Pinan said. Pinon said.
He added: “SFJ believes in non-violence to achieve independence while the Modi government is using violence abroad to crush the peaceful Khalistan movement.”
Tensions have risen within the Indian community over the past three weeks following a series of graffiti attacks on pro-Khalistan banners and Sikh figures symbolizing Khalistan activism, including the venerable Shaheed Bhindranwale.
SFJ reported graffiti attacks on banners and posters used for the Khalistan referendum and attacks on posters of Sikh figures executed by Indian authorities for supporting Khalistan.
Sikh campaigners have accused the Indian government – through Indian diplomatic missions – of sponsoring Khalistan referendum posters as well as attacks on Sikh figures to incite trouble.
The Indian Hindu community says the ISKCON Hare Krishna temple in Melbourne’s Albert Park was vandalized with anti-Hindu slogans along with graffiti that read “Dead to India”, “Sant Bhandrawale Shaheed” and “Long Live Khalistan”. had gone.
It said a similar attack took place at the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Keram Down and the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Mill Park.
Grouptun Singh Pinan said his organization had no idea who was behind the attacks on Hindu temples but released a video showing the men. Demolish, Destroy Posters of Shaheed Bhindranwale and Khalistan. Panon said the vandals at Sikh shrines belonged to hard-line Hindutva groups, which are backed by India, defacing posters and pictures.
An Australian police spokeswoman said it was investigating the violent clashes. Khalistan Referendum. SFJ said he understands one person was arrested at the scene and taken away in handcuffs.
The US-based group Sikhs for Justice, which spearheaded the non-binding referendum, proposed a new state. Khalistan, which will take in areas of northern India and Pakistan’s Punjab as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. Voters on Sunday were asked to answer yes or no to the referendum question, “Should Indian-administered Punjab be an independent country?” Yes or no.”
According to the 2021 census, there are about 210,000 Sikhs living in Australia, but local Sikhs say the actual number is closer to 300,000. In 2016, the number of Sikhs in Australia was 130,000. According to the 2021 census, there were approximately 700,000 Hindus in Australia.