Viral Video: Khalistani Referendum In San Francisco Turns Violent, Clashes Break Out Between Rival Groups

San Francisco: A dramatic video is doing rounds on social media which shows violent clashes. Several men are seen assaulting each other while the security personnel is trying to bring the situation under control. Those involved in the ruckus are also seen flashing Khalistani flags. The social media user Siddhant Sibal who has uploaded this video has has said, "Violent clash during the so-called "Khalistan referendum" in San Francisco involving rival gangs, with Major Singh Nijjar's group sidelined by Pannu, and SFJ promoting the Sabi gang. The video from 28th January".

According to a report of The San Francisco Standard, On January 28th, thousands of Khalistani Sympathisers arrived in the city, waving their flags, in cars, buses and trains to vote for a new country of their own. The vote asks whether the predominantly Sikh state of Punjab in India should break away and form an independent nation called Khalistan.

The report also said that the Khalistan referendum, as the ballot measure is known, is nonbinding, meaning even if the majority of voters favor independence, it won't guarantee a new nation. But to many of California's 250,000 Sikhs—most of whom live in the Central Valley or the Bay Area—the vote is about nothing less than freedom and democracy.

It's a worldwide election that takes place on various dates in different cities where Sikhs reside. The Jan. 28 ballot in San Francisco follows votes in London, Geneva, Rome, Toronto and Vancouver.