Sikhs in Canada under the banner of the human rights group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), has filed a defamation suit against Captain Amarinder Singh, one of their homeland’s foremost politicians.

Captain Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007 and now is the standard bearer of the Congress party in his state.

SFJ in its defamation suit is seeking one million dollars from Captain Singh for the linking the human rights group to Pakistan’s dreaded secret service known as ISI.

The 14-page writ filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice also seeks a permanent injunction preventing Capt Singh from republishing or facilitating the republication of the alleged defamatory statements, made by him.

Capt. Singh has 60 days to submit a reply, failing in which a judgment can be given against him.

SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said that they would serve this court notice on Capt Singh in India using the Hague Convention protocols.

Claiming injury to SFJ's reputation, the lawsuit states that by "making defamatory statements Capt. Singh has caused reputational damage to SFJ's status as non-profit organization and has hindered its ability to address ongoing issues of significance to Canadian Sikhs.

"On April 24, 25 and 26 Captain Singh made various defamatory statements against SFJ which were published in several online media and read by thousands of individuals", further states lawsuit.

The comments were allegedly made after earlier this year, after SFJ had blocked Capt. Singh’s scheduled visit to Canada by petitioning Ottawa to stop his political campaign, which was seeking foreign support and donations.

After his campaign was blocked in Canada, Capt. Singh hit back against SFJ saying it was playing in ISI's hands.

"We gave (the) Indian MP an opportunity to prove his allegations of SFJ-ISI nexus, however, Captain Amarinder not only repeated the allegations, but he also alleged that anti India elements in the Canadian government who support Khalistan were behind spoiling his political campaign" said Pannun, a lawyer.

Amarinder had then allegedly remarked "SFJ is playing into the hands of the anti-India forces like the ISI to embarrass India and project as if rights violations was the norm of the day in the country (India) like some dictatorships in different parts of the world".

"During a 2007 visit Capt Singh addressed the Sikh gathering while Khalistan banners were flying high behind him, But now he ridicules those who support the Sikh home land", he said arguing, "we will not allow Indian politicians to define and mislabel the Sikhs' movement for independence of Punjab", added attorney Pannun.

With little support for Sikh militancy in India, Pakistan spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is using Sikh militants who are taking refuge in Pakistan to gather political support from their community in Canada with a view to reviving the Khalistan movement.

Capt Singh was basing his comments apparently on an Indian intelligence report accessed by media on the activities of groups in Canada engaged in pro-Khalistani activities last Spring.

That report saidthat the ISI is using Sikh extremists for anti-India activities.

“Inputs indicate that Pakistan’s ISI is using Sikh extremists based in Canada for pro-Khalistan and anti-India activities,” the report says.

Apart from ISI activities, “political lobbying” by Sikh groups is also a major concern for Indian intelligence agencies.

“The Sikhs have a strong influence on Canadian politics due to their large population,” the report said while adding that prominent Canadian leaders have been taking part in events organised by groups sympathising with the cause for the Khalistan movement.

The issue of Sikh extremism and activities of sympathisers in Canada was taken up at a recent meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on terrorism between India and Pakistan held in Delhi on March 19, 2015.

The report was prepared ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada from April 14 to 16.

Stating an instance of the ISI backing the cause of some of the extremists groups in Canada, the report says that an associate of Jagtar Singh Tara who was deported from Thailand in December 2014 travelled to Pakistan to plan Tara’s escape from Thailand with the help of the ISI.