EP 26, 2023 : After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that the Indian government was responsible for the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, dozens of supporters of Khalistan demonstrated outside the Indian Consulate in Vancouver. Demonstrators sang, performed music, and waved flags of Khalistan. Some of them burned the Indian flag outside the Indian Consulate in a trash container. In Toronto, there were also similar protests. According to Canadian news outlet CTV, protesters referred to Nijjar’s death as a “assassination” and demanded a public investigation into the matter. Supporters of Khalistan had various demonstrations scheduled in Canadian cities.According to CTV News, the World Sikh Organisation issued a warning in advance about the potential for “incitement and interference” and urged attention. Tejinder Singh Sidhu, head of the World Sikh Organisation, urged for the capture of those responsible for Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder in a statement. He added, “We encourage community members to immediately contact law enforcement if they feel unsafe or observe attempts to incite violence,” according to CTV News. Prior to a rally planned by supporters of Khalistan, the Vancouver Police Department closed the street surrounding the Indian Consulate in Vancouver. According to CTV News, barriers have been put up to block the entrance to the Indian Consulate’s premises on Howe Street in Vancouver. Vancouver Police sent a message on X, the platform that replaced Twitter, stating, “#VanTraffic: Howe Street is restricted to vehicular traffic between W Cordova and W Hastings Street. A different route should be considered till further notice. Howe Street is now open to all vehicular traffic, according to a post from Vancouver Police later in the day that was posted on X. After Justin Trudeau claimed on September 18 that India was involved in the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force head Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, relations between India and Canada have been strained. On June 18, Nijjar, an Indian terrorist, was assassinated in front of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.India, on the other hand, dismissed the accusations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated”. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement stating, “We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as well as the statement by their Foreign Minister.” The MEA said in its statement, “Allegations of Government of India involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated.” In response to Canada’s expulsion of a senior Indian diplomat over New Delhi’s alleged participation in Nijjar’s murder, India also expelled a top Canadian diplomat.The claims made by Canada regarding India’s “potential links” to the execution of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar were described as “politically driven” by Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday. “Yes, I do believe there is some prejudice present here. They have accused them and initiated legal action. We believe that the Canadian government’s accusations are primarily motivated by political motives, Bagchi stated at a press conference.
