TORONTO: Members of Canada’s Sikh community have held a protest demonstration in front of the Indian consulate in Toronto to protest the mysterious murder of one of their leaders in the Vancouver area, AFP reported on Saturday.
They alleged New Delhi of being responsible and answerable for the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, president of a Sikh temple and activist for the creation of Khalistan. The spokesman of Sikhs for Justice said, “When the Indian system and its agency carry out a crime, they have to be held answerable and accountable,”.
Murder of Sikh Leader Sparks Dueling Protests in Front of Indian Consulate in Canada
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down on June 18 in the Vancouver area that is home to one of the largest populations of Sikh in Canada.
Hakirt Singh, a lawyer, who was also taking part in the protest in front of the Indian consulate in Canada, told AFP that Canadian Police must investigate this killing as a political assassination. The protestor said that the assassination of a Canadian national on Canadian soil was foreign meddling.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan. The protestors were holding yellow flags with blue logos representing their separatist movement and were chanting slogans “Khalistan! Khalistan!“
Since the assassination of the Sikh leader, tensions have risen between India and Canada.
India regularly alleges Canada of tolerance in its treatment of Sikh protesters and leaders in Canada.
Canada is home to the largest number of Sikh populations outside their home state of Punjab in India.
Earlier, protestors gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London to protest against the killing of Hardeep Singh Nagar. The protesters accused the Indian government, led by extremist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of being responsible for Nagar’s death and alleged that New Delhi has employed violent measures to suppress the Khalistan movement.
The Sikh protesters voiced their determination to continue the struggle for the liberation of Indian Punjab and criticized the Indian government’s attempts to marginalize Sikh leaders as a means to intimidate the Sikh community. They emphasized that Indian tactics would not deter them from their pursuit of Khalistan’s freedom.
