New Delhi: The recent action against NRIs and OCIs involved in "anti-India" activities acted as a "deterrent" against the call given by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for a referendum on Khalistan in the UK, sources in the government said.

The SFJ, which organised the referendum to carve out Khalistan in India, badly failed to garner support of the Sikhs living in London despite the efforts of different outfits associated with the Khalistan movement such as the Federation of Sikh Organization and the World Sikh Parliament.

However, some British Sikhs travelled to London on Sunday to cast their vote.

The sources also said that the SFJ based in the US, a banned organisation in India, "deliberately" tried to organise a referendum on November 1, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the UK to attend a global summit on Climate Change.

They said that the organisers had arranged hundreds of buses to bring Sikhs from the remote areas of the UK but they could only gather less than 2,000 people.

The SFJ had given a call to all the Sikhs above the age of 18 to vote in the referendum. Some them who arrived at the voting centre also raised slogans in favour of Khalistan.

Recently, the Indian authorities had taken action against some NRIs and OCI cardholders for protesting before the Indian Embassies abroad and cancelled the long term visas and OCI status.

Though, the exact number against whom the action was taken was not revealed but it was learnt that 12 Indians living in Canada faced the music.

The Indian Government can take more action in such cases, the sources added.