Will impact ties: Jaishankar after Indian diplomats targeted in pro-Khalistan poster in Canada

New Delhi: The ongoing tensions between Sikh extremists and Indian diplomats escalated as two Indian diplomats in Canada were targeted in a poster allegedly circulated by pro-Khalistan groups.

The extremists accused the diplomats of involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force and a designated terrorist, who was killed in June.

The poster featuring photos of India's High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and Consul General in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava, with the words "Faces of Shaheed Nijjar's Killers in Toronto" above them, has been widely shared on social media.

Commenting on this issue, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar expressed concerns about the impact on bilateral relations.

“We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government[s] of these countries,” Jaishankar said.

He revealed that India has urged partner countries such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to refrain from giving space to Khalistani elements. Jaishankar stated that the poster issue would be raised with the governments of these countries.

Nijjar, who headed pro-Khalistan outfits Khalistan Tiger Force and the Canadian arm of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), was shot dead in Surrey, Canada on 18 June. This comes a month after Sikh extremists carried out a demonstration in Brampton that appeared to glorify the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

It featured a tableau of Indira Gandhi with blood on her clothes and a poster that read: “Revenge of attack on Shri Darbar Sahib.”

At that time, Jaishankar had asked why the Canadian authorities were giving space to separatists, extremists and “people who promote violence”. “It’s not good for the (bilateral) relationship and it’s not good for Canada,” he said in June.

The demonstration was held to mark the 39th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, which saw the Indian armed forces storm the Golden Temple in Punjab’s Amritsar to flush out Sikh extremist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the premises.

Similar tensions were observed between India and the United Kingdom in March when Sikh radicals attacked the Indian High Commission in London to protest the Indian government's actions against extremist Amritpal Singh Sandhu.

The controversial poster, reportedly circulating among radical Sikh groups in the US as well, also calls for a protest march on July 8. The march is scheduled to start from the Great Punjab Business Centre in Mississauga and head towards the Consulate General of India in Toronto.

The poster, titled 'Khalistan Freedom Rally,' features an image of Punjab overlaid with an arm labelled 'Sikhs for Justice' colliding with a rifle labelled "India," accompanied by the words 'Kill India.'

Terry Milewski, a retired senior correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and author of the book 'Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of Global Khalistan Project,' expressed grave concern on Twitter regarding the poster.

Milewski emphasized the dangers of Sikh extremists inciting anger and targeting Indian diplomats without any evidence of their involvement in Nijjar's murder.

“This is extremely dangerous. Khalistanis are whipping up anger targeting Indian diplomats they call “Killers” of “Shaheed” (Martyr) Hardeep Nijjar, shot in a Mafia-style hit in Surrey BC June 18. There is zero evidence of any Indian role. Grossly irresponsible,” he tweeted.

He stressed the need for ensuring the safety of the High Commissioner and the Consul while hoping for a swift resolution to the Nijjar murder case.

“‘Kill India,’ the poster screams. No diplomat should be threatened like this. We have to hope the High Commissioner and the Consul are well protected and that the Nijjar murder is rapidly solved. (Whoever made the poster is no genius. There’s no Indian “embassy” in Toronto),” he wrote in another tweet.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was wanted in several National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases, with a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh declared on his arrest.

During his visit to India in 2018, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with then Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who had provided a list of criminals, including Nijjar. Nijjar was subsequently apprehended by Canadian authorities in April 2018 but was later released.