British Sikh MP Preet Gill, who will not attend the August 12 rally on the controversial Referendum 2020 in London due to “other commitments,” has warned voters in her constituency that non-binding referendums have little impact.

“History shows us that non-binding referendums... run the risk of lacking credibility, wasting significant resources and building false expectations,” Gill wrote in a letter, adding that when the idea was mooted in 2014, the aim was to hold a “binding referendum”.

She also warned her constituents, planning to take part in the London Declaration, that there was possibility that they would face legal action in India. “I fully support the right of any group protesting peacefully, provided they have the relevant permissions and this event is no different,” she said.

Gill said she had met Harpal Singh Cheema, president of Dal Khalsa, when he visited the UK last July and discussed the issue of Sikh right to self-determination.

She also pointed out that leading Sikh organisations in the UK such as the Sikh Federation (UK), FSO, Sikh Network and Sikh Council were “publicly silent” on whether they supported the London Declaration. Her letter provoked outrage from Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the organisers of the rally. “Preet Gill is trying to create fear among the youth not to support this. Is she the spokesperson for the Indian government?” SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, said.

Courtesy: Times of India: 08 Aug 2018