A protester in front of the Indian consulate in Vancouver. The yellow flag represents Khalistan, a state that some Sikhs hope to create. Photo: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP/NTB
By NTB | 09/26/2023 07:02:20
Policy: Canada believes Indian authorities may have been involved in the murder.
– We are not safe at home, in Punjab or in Canada, declares Sikh Joe Hotha in front of the Indian consulate in Toronto.
Protesters burned Indian flags and trampled photos of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In June, activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed near Vancouver. He was a Canadian citizen and leader of the country’s Sikhs. On Monday last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that India may have played a role in the killing, sparking a diplomatic crisis.
– Indians are terrorists. They killed our brother in Vancouver, that’s why we’re protesting here, said another protester, Harper Gosal.
The protests took place in front of the consulates in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as at the Indian embassy in Ottawa. More than 700,000 Canadians belong to Sikhism, making up the largest Sikh community outside of India.
India has rejected Canada’s accusations and is now urging its citizens not to travel to any part of the country. Canada and India expelled diplomats as a result.
(©NTB)