Canada: Canadian Sikhs have protested outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa. It comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau said that there may be a connection between New Delhi and the killing of a Sikh separatist advocate in British Columbia.
A week ago, Mr. Trudeau stated in parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies were actively investigating credible claims linking agents from New Delhi to the shooting of Canadian citizen Mr. Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.
Approximately 100 protesters burned an Indian flag and hit a cardboard cutout of Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi with a shoe. Additionally, about 200 protesters gathered outside the Vancouver consulate.
“The Indians, they are terrorists. They killed our brother in Vancouver, so that’s why we are protesting here,” Sikh protester, Mr. Harpar Gosal, said outside the Indian consulate in Toronto.
In Ottawa, less than 100 individuals assembled outside the Indian high commissioner’s office, waving yellow flags displaying the word “Khalistan.” This symbolized their endorsement of establishing an independent Sikh state in India’s Punjab region, a cause Mr. Nijjar advocated for.
“We are really thankful to Justin Trudeau. … We want no stone left unturned to get to the bottom of this cowardly act. Canada should put pressure on India to “stop the killing of innocent people in future”, protester Ms. Reshma Singh Bolinas stated.
Canada has the largest Sikh population outside Punjab, with approximately 770,000 Sikhs. Over recent years, various demonstrations in Canada have been a source of concern for India.