Desperate Khalistanis in Canada get personal, release posters bearing pictures of Indian diplomats

Despite repeated warnings Canada has failed to check the anti-India activities by Khalistanis. In the latest Khalistani separatists have threatened the security of senior Indian Diplomats Indian high commissioner Saurav Kumar Sharma and Counsellor Apurva Srivastava by putting their pictures and details on a poster made for Toronto protest rally. The duo have been blamed along with security agencies for the recent assassination of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, designated Khalistani terrorist, was killed in an inter-gang warfare on June 19 in Sikh dominated Surrey town in Vancouver. Nijjar had links with the proscribed organization Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).

While the poster for protest rally in Toronto on July 8 names Indian High Commissioner and Counsellor with photos, posters of a simultaneous rally in Vancouver names Consul General Vancouver Manish along with High Commissioner.

Despite India raising the threat of these Khalistan extremists to the Indian diaspora with the Justin Trudeau government, his government has so far chosen to evade any action as the separatists Sikh not just constitute a vote bank but also key support for Trudeau’s minority government. The posters come as an example of a free pass given to the Khalistani extremists in the country as now they have switched from anonymous mode and provided their details on posters while putting a target at the back of Indian Diplomats. Adding to the pressure on Indian diplomats, the SFJ has taken to social media to announce “kill India” rallies in eight countries on the same day.

“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 of these countries,” said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

A senior Indian official said concerns about their security and other personnel have been communicated informally to Global Affairs Canada, the country’s foreign ministry and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which is tasked with diplomatic security and the Ottawa and Toronto police departments. Due to the long weekend holiday in Canada, the Indian High Commission is expected to demarche the Justin Trudeau government on Monday and ask the Federal Government to take action against Khalistan extremists for naming and threatening Indian diplomats.

Reports from Canada suggest the RCMP has already contacted the Indian High Commission in Toronto and Vancouver and have decided to give personal security to Indian diplomats including the High Commissioner and the Counsel General.