Khalistan group announces ‘siege’ of Indian consulate in Canada

The pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice announced plans for a 12-hour protest outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Thursday.

The organisation, which is banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, issued a statement a day earlier urging Indian-origin residents in Canada to avoid visiting the mission on September 18, citing safety concerns.

The group accused the consulate of running a spy network in Canada aimed at monitoring supporters of the Khalistan movement, which calls for a separate Sikh state. It also linked its action to the second anniversary of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks in Parliament, when he said intelligence agencies were examining “credible allegations” about possible Indian government involvement in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, who headed the Khalistan Tiger Force—an organisation India designates as a terrorist—was shot dead near Vancouver in June 2023. Sikhs For Justice claimed that Indian consulates were still carrying out surveillance of those involved in the Khalistan referendum campaign, Scroll.in reported.

New Delhi has strongly dismissed Ottawa’s allegations, describing them as baseless and politically motivated. Indian officials argued that the claims were intended to deflect attention from Khalistani extremists allegedly sheltered in Canada, who, according to India, pose threats to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Indian Express also reported that Sikhs For Justice released a poster portraying India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, with a target mark over his image and describing him as the “new face” of Hindutva-linked terror in the country.