New Delhi: Two Indian diplomats in Canada have been targeted in a poster purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists who have accused them of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The poster, doing the rounds on social media, features photos of India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General in Toronto Apoorva Srivastava. The words ‘Faces of Shaheed Nijjar’s Killers in Toronto’ appear above the photos.
On Monday, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar commented on the ongoing controversy, saying it will impact 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 told ANI.
ThePrint reached the Canadian High Commission in Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs for comment but did not receive a response from either.
On 18 June, Nijjar, who headed pro-Khalistan outfits Khalistan Tiger Force and the Canadian arm of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), was shot dead in Surrey, Canada.
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.
In March, India-UK ties also came under strain after Sikh radicals attacked the Indian High Commission in London to protest the Indian government’s actions against extremist Amritpal Singh Sandhu.
According to Canadian author-journalist Terry Milewski, such threats against diplomats will put the Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government in the hot seat.
“This will definitely force the Trudeau government, at the very least, to take a harder line rhetorically. Whether it takes real action is less certain,” he told ThePrint. “There is no way the government can countenance threats against diplomats.”
Also Read: In Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing, look beyond the usual suspect. There is gangs, guns and God
Protest march from Malton to Toronto
The poster, which has reportedly also been doing the rounds among radical Sikh groups in the US, also calls for a protest march on 8 July. The march is scheduled to begin at the Great Punjab Business Centre in Mississauga to the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
A poster, titled ‘Khalistan Freedom Rally’, also features a picture of the state Punjab on top of which an arm labelled ‘Sikhs for Justice’ is colliding with a rifle labelled “India”.
The words ‘Kill India’ also feature on the poster.
Terry Milewski, a retired senior correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the author of the book ‘Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of Global Khalistan Project’, took to Twitter to express grave concern regarding the poster.
“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.
“‘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.
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. pic.twitter.com/6ApDZOXgEb
— Terry Milewski (@CBCTerry) July 3, 2023
Nijjar was wanted in at least four NIA cases and the NIA had declared a Rs 10 lakh cash reward on him.
While on a trip to India in 2018, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had met then Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who had given him a list of criminals which included Nijjar’s name. Nijjar was nabbed by Canadian authorities in April 2018. However, he was released later.
(With inputs from Divyanshi Chandra)
Also Read: Wanted terrorist & Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Panjwar shot dead in Pakistan’s Lahore