Indians are blasting Google for a 2020 Sikh referendum app that has appeared on the Play Store. Pakistan has been accused of supporting the app, which pushes the Khalistan nationalist movement. Although it has been available since February, it only came to the notice of most Indians recently.
Indians notice 2020 Sikh referendum app
The Khalistan movement aims to create a separate country specifically for Sikhs. The movement calls for part of Pakistani and Indian Punjab to be separated from those countries and formed into a nation of Sikhs. Some other parts of the two countries are also included in the Khalistan movement. U.S.-based Sikhs for Justice launched the 2020 Sikh referendum app.
According to RT, although a U.S.-based group appears to have launched the 2020 Sikh referendum app, many Indians claim it is an attempt from Pakistan at anti-India propaganda. Many reviewers blasted the app in their reviews on the Google Play Store, questioning why the search giant would allow such an app to be included. Because of all the negative reviews, the app is only rated with a single star.
Even though the app has been on the Google Play Store since February, it doesn’t have a very far reach. The app store lists the app as having been downloaded more than 1,000 times, which indicates that a relatively small number of people have downloaded it.
Movement for and against Sikhs
Pakistan and India recently teamed up in support of Sikhs. The two countries agreed to create a corridor Sikhs may use without needing a visa. The corridor connects to Guru Nanak’s tomb, which is one of the holiest sites for members of the faith. It’s located in Pakistan about four kilometers from the Indian border, but many Sikhs from India make the trek there on a regular basis.
A number of scandals have struck the cooperation between the two rivals. Pakistan released a post of Sikh militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed by the Indian army in a deadly gunfight. The poster also included the phrases “#Khalistan2020” and “Referendum2020,” which is probably one reason so many Indians are sure that Pakistan is behind the 2020 Sikh referendum app on the Google Play Store.
