The arrest occurred just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted leaders from China, Russia, and Iran in New Delhi. Singh, along with two other activists, faced charges after graffiti appeared labeling the BRICS bloc as anti-American. The campaign, which explicitly called for dismantling the summit, featured slogans pairing the Khalistan movement with an "America First" agenda.
Singh, an associate of SFJ General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been a central figure in the organization's push for a Khalistan referendum since 2018. His legal history includes a previous arrest in 2023 regarding similar political messaging during the G20 summit. Despite a massive security deployment across the capital, the activists managed to bypass surveillance to stage their protest during the high-stakes diplomatic gathering.
Pannun defended the actions, framing the arrest as a crackdown on political speech. He argued that the Indian government cannot maintain a strategic partnership with the United States while simultaneously leading a bloc that seeks to undermine American geopolitical influence. For its part, the SFJ asserts that its activities are a legitimate exercise of the right to self-determination, designed to contrast the summit's agenda with the group's own political objectives.

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