Shillong, September 26: In response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation of India’s involvement in the murder of radical Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, several Khalistan supporters rallied outside Indian diplomatic missions in Canadian cities including Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto.
As per IANS, Nijjar, designated as a terrorist in India, was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in Surrey on June 18, and Khalistanis in Canada have held Indian diplomats responsible for his death.
In downtown Vancouver, approximately 75 people gathered outside the Consul General of India, chanting pro-Khalistani slogans and staging their demonstration atop a large Indian flag placed on the ground, as reported by CBC news.
The Vancouver police had closed a section of Howe Street in anticipation of the event, organized by the Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), and there was a heavy police presence.
Sikh-Canadian journalist Meera Bains posted a video of the protest on X, which showed a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi adorned with slippers. She noted the organized nature of the protest with flags, signs, loudspeakers, and an image of PM Modi on cardboard.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of SFJ (banned by India in 2019), was also present at the Vancouver protests. He stated their intention to “shut down every Indian Consulate in the world today because the Indian back face has come to the front face.” Pannun had announced the protests a week prior, and they also called for the expulsion of High Commissioner Sanjay Verma.
Pannun, whose properties in Punjab were recently confiscated by the Indian government, released a video aimed at dividing Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada, urging all Hindus of Indian-origin to return to their homeland.
In Toronto and Ottawa, approximately 70 people demonstrated in front of the Indian High Commission, urging India to cooperate with the Canadian government’s investigation into Nijjar’s murder.
Tensions escalated between India and Canada after Trudeau’s allegations of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing. India rejected these allegations as “absurd and motivated.”
Throughout this year, Khalistanis in the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada have called for referendums, vandalized Hindu temples, and defaced Indian missions with anti-India graffiti.
Following Nijjar’s death in June, Sikh radicals initiated a poster campaign across Canada, holding Indian diplomats and High Commissioner responsible for the murder.