Pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) held a rally outside the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., expressing solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and condemning what the group described as the Modi government’s transnational terrorism.
The rally focused on the targeted killing of Bangladeshi student leader Osman Hadi, which SFJ described as a political assassination carried out under the Modi government’s transnational repression strategy. SFJ called for an independent international investigation, stating that the killing reflects a broader pattern of cross-border repression directed by the Modi government against political dissent beyond India’s borders.
SFJ speakers drew direct parallels between the killing of Osman Hadi in Bangladesh and the assassination of Shaheed Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, stating that both cases illustrate the Modi government’s practice of eliminating political voices internationally.
Addressing the rally, Dr. Bakhshish Singh Sandhu of the Khalistan Council stated that Osman Hadi was targeted for his political positions and for expressing solidarity with the Khalistan movement shortly before his death—actions that placed him within the scope of the Modi government’s security and intelligence apparatus.
“Osman Hadi exercised his right to political expression,” Sandhu said. “His killing, like the assassination of Shaheed Nijjar, raises serious concerns about the Modi government’s use of extraterritorial force to silence dissent.”
During the rally, SFJ urged the United States government, the United Nations, and international human rights organizations to confront what the group described as the Modi government’s expanding reliance on assassinations, intimidation, and coercion beyond India’s borders.
SFJ stated that the killing of student leaders and political activists under the Modi government’s watch undermines democratic principles, freedom of expression, and political stability across South Asia.
Osman Hadi, described by SFJ as a prominent student activist in Bangladesh, was reportedly killed in what the group characterized as a targeted attack. While details surrounding the incident remain contested, SFJ maintained that the circumstances mirror other cases linked to the Modi government’s transnational repression apparatus, including the assassination of Shaheed Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The rally concluded peacefully, with SFJ stating that similar solidarity actions will continue in international capitals to maintain international pressure on the Modi government and to demand accountability.