In a diplomatic move, India has urgently called upon the Canadian government to take decisive action against Khalistan extremists who plan to stage protest marches to Indian embassies in Toronto and Vancouver. The extremists have unjustly accused Indian diplomats and security agencies of orchestrating the recent killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist. Nijjar, the 45-year-old chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), fell victim to inter-gang warfare on June 19 in Surrey, a Sikh-dominated town near Vancouver.
The Indian High Commission is set to demarche the Justin Trudeau government on Monday, seeking immediate measures against the Khalistan extremists responsible for naming and threatening Indian diplomats. Posters for the upcoming protest rally in Toronto on July 8 explicitly mention Indian High Commissioner Saurav Kumar Sharma and Counsellor Apurva Srivastava, accompanied by their respective photographs. Similarly, posters for the simultaneous rally in Vancouver target High Commissioner Manish and Consul General Vancouver Manish, displaying their photos alongside contact information for the organizers.
Expressing concerns over the safety of Indian diplomats, an official asserted, "Since the identities of those threatening Indian diplomats are known, the Canadian government this time has no excuses for not taking action or dismissing this threat as a legitimate democratic right of the protestors.", as Hindustan Times reported.
Notably, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has already reached out to the Indian High Commission in Toronto and Vancouver, assuring personal security to Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner and the Counsel General.
Despite India repeatedly highlighting the threat posed by Khalistan extremists to the Indian diaspora, the Trudeau government has been criticized for its lack of action against these violent elements. Political considerations and the Khalistan separatists' potential influence on electoral dynamics are believed to be factors inhibiting the Canadian government from taking decisive measures. These extremists have previously defaced Indian temples and targeted the non-Sikh Indian community, sparking further concerns.
The planned Vancouver protest rally will commence from Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara, a place previously occupied by Nijjar and his associates, culminating at the Indian Consulate in Vancouver. Similarly, the Toronto rally is expected to start from Malton and proceed towards the Indian High Commission in Toronto.
Adding to the diplomatic pressure faced by Indian diplomats, the banned organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has taken to social media to announce "kill India" rallies in eight countries on the same day.
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