The name Pieter Friedrich was in the headlines since Monday evening following a press conference by the Delhi Police. Friedrich was named for his alleged involvement in the 'toolkit' case, which erupted after climate activist Greta Thunberg tweeted a Google toolkit for protest activities related to the ongoing farmers' protests in India.
According to security agencies, Friedrich has been the front and unsuspecting face of a Khalistani conspiracy, which has roots outside India.
Friedrich, who describes himself as a "freelance journalist and analyst of South Asian affairs", responded to the allegations against him on a post on Medium early on Tuesday. Friedrich has been a trenchant critic of the BJP and RSS and had alleged that Hindu rightwing groups had funded the presidential campaign of Democrat Tulsi Gabbard in 2019.
In the post, titled Modi Regime Attacks Pieter Friedrich for Striking Against RSS’s Fascist Agenda, Friedrich declared he had "absolutely zero involvement" with the Khalistani movement today.
"As the Khalistan movement today—with which I have absolutely zero involvement—appears to me to be entirely propped up by the Modi regime for purposes of creating a Frankenstein monster on which it can blame all ills, it seems to serve no other purpose than as a Modi regime psy-op to distract attention from the crimes of the RSS-BJP. It’s laughable that the entire world today—from a white Christian writer like myself to a Black Barbadian singer like Rihanna—are labeled as supporters of a fictitious Sikh separatist state," Friedrich wrote.
Friedrich also responded to security agencies' claims of his links with Bhajan Singh Bhinder alias Iqbal Choudhary, who is suspected of links with Khalistani groups.
Friedrich claims he had co-authored two books with Bhinder and learned about "decades of human rights issues in India" from the latter. Friedrich said Bhinder had "disavowed the concept of Khalistan".
"I also learned that many of the loudest voices promoting the mythical concept of 'Khalistan' appeared to be agents propped up by the Indian State for the purpose of discrediting legitimate Sikh activism in support of human rights. The reason I didn’t run away from Bhajan was because he disavowed the concept of Khalistan and instead embraced a universal humanitarianism," Friedrich wrote.
also read
- 'Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1', 'They call him OG' screening cancelled in Canadian theatre after arson attempt, shooting
- ‘They’re ready to take me out’: Khalistani activist’s bizarre claim as India, Canada try to thaw relations
- Khalistan outfit 'Sikhs for Justice' announces siege on Indian consulate in Vancouver, shares poster targeting new envoy
- Canada admits Khalistani terror groups received funds from government: Report
- Who is Dinesh Patnaik, India's new envoy to Canada, familiar with handling Khalistan challenge?
Referring to the allegations that he was the "mastermind" of the toolkit tweeted by Thunberg, Friedrich said he had "nothing to do with it".
"It would have be an honor to have planned the hashtags and the overall 'Toolkit' for the Farmers Protest, being as I stand with all peaceful protestors around the world in their struggle against totalitarianism, and particularly with Indians. Yet, I had nothing to do with it, unfortunately, despite my dedication to opposing the 'Butcher of Gujarat,' as Modi has come to be nicknamed after his involvement in the 2002 Gujarat Pogrom," he wrote.
Friedrich claimed he had been targeted for his persistent criticism of the RSS and what he termed the Modi government's fascism. “The simple truth seems to be that I’ve been targeted because I have emerged as one of North America’s most relentless voices against the rising fascism of the Modi regime and, particularly, the RSS, going so far as to work to have the RSS declared as a terrorist organization, which it is,” Friedrich wrote.
