MT Desk: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, 91 official websites remain non-functional, disrupting public access to vital services across the territory. These websites have been inaccessible since the first week of May.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the IIOJK e-Governance Agency, in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Syed Adil, an activist from Ganderbal district, confirmed that the websites are down due to the non-availability of required ‘safe to host’ certificates.

The websites were taken offline because the concerned departments failed to conduct mandatory security audits. The agency further stated that these audits are now underway. However, it did not clarify whether temporary measures or alternative arrangements have been implemented to maintain service continuity.

Syed Adil slammed the authorities for failing to restore these websites. “It has been officially revealed that 91 websites are down, but the actual number could be around 150,” he said. “There has been little follow-up from the government to restore these websites, which reflects a lack of seriousness.”

Meanwhile, on India’s Independence Day, a large number of Sikhs staged a massive protest outside the Indian Embassy in Washington, surrounding the building in a show of defiance.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Sikhs carrying Khalistan flags raised slogans of “Down with India” and “Modi the murderer”. They tore the Indian flag and threw its pieces in front of the embassy. Terrified by the protest, Indian embassy staff summoned police, who remained stationed at the site for several hours. The demonstrators also staged a sit-in outside the embassy, voicing their outrage against the Indian government.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, President of the Khalistan Council, announced that the Khalistan Referendum will be held in Washington on Sunday, August 17, with thousands of Sikhs expected to cast their votes. He vowed that the day is not far when Indian Punjab will be liberated and transformed into Khalistan.

Observers described the protest outside the Indian embassy as yet another manifestation of the Khalistan movement’s growing international momentum, which is fast emerging a diplomatic challenge for New Delhi.

The upcoming Khalistan Referendum in the US is being organized by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a US-based Sikh organization proscribed by the Indian government. Multiple rounds of the Khalistan Referendum have already been held in the UK, Canada, and other countries, with hundreds of thousands of Sikhs voting in favor of a separate homeland.

The Modi government, unnerved by the Referendum campaign, has been making desperate efforts to halt the process but its attempts have ended in failure.