Canadian Sikhs stage protests against Indian government over Nijjar killing

Toronto/Ottawa, September 25

Canadian Sikhs staged small protests outside India’s diplomatic missions on Monday, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there may be a link between New Delhi and the murder of a Sikh separatist advocate in British Columbia.

Trudeau a week ago stood in parliament to say that domestic intelligence agencies were actively pursuing credible allegations tying New Delhi’s agents to the shooting of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, in June.

About 100 protesters in Toronto burnt an Indian flag. About 200 protesters also gathered outside the Vancouver consulate.

In Ottawa, fewer than 100 people gathered in front of the Indian High Commissioner’s office (embassy) in the capital. They waved yellow flags marked with the word ‘Khalistan’.

“We are really thankful to Justin Trudeau…We want no stone left unturned to get to the bottom of this cowardly act,” protester Reshma Singh Bolinas said in Ottawa. Canada should put pressure on India to “stop the killing of innocent people in future”.

Canada is home to about 770,000 Sikhs, the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab.

India labelled Trudeau’s allegations “absurd”. It warned travellers last week that there were growing “anti-India activities” in Canada, urging “utmost caution” but did not provide evidence or details of specific incidents.

“The Indian government used dirty tactics and compromised the sovereignty of Canada,” said Kuljeet Singh, a protester in Toronto and a member of the group Sikhs for Justice.

Some of the protesters in both Toronto and Ottawa called for the expulsion of the Indian High Commissioner (ambassador) to Canada, Sanjay Verma, who earlier said authorities had been informed of the protests and were providing security.