New Delhi: The closed roads outside India’s High Commission in Ottawa and consulate buildings in Toronto and Vancouver Monday saw demonstrations by less than 500 Canadian Sikh separatist protesters combined. But they explicitly declared their condemnation of the Indian government in connection with the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
According to a Reuters report, protesters in these three major Canadian cities waved yellow flags with the word ‘Khalistan’ on them, and chanted separatist slogans. Some in Toronto were even seen burning the Indian flag and throwing shoes at a cardboard cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the report.
Protesters spit on effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and smack it with a shoe. Outside Indian consulate in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/WpZPLQFfp5
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The protests come amid a diplomatic tussle between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited “credible intelligence” to allege that agents of the Indian government were involved in Nijjar’s assassination. India has strongly denied any role in Nijjar’s death and condemned Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd and motivated”. India has also suspended visa services for Canadian citizens.
Between 100 and 150 members were expected to join the protests Monday in Toronto, Jatinder Singh Grewal, a director of the group Sikh for Justice in Canada, said, but only a dozen people showed up at the scheduled start time, Reuters reported.
In anticipation of potentially fractious scenes, Canadian authorities had closed roads and put up barricades around the Indian High Commission and consulate buildings.
Grewal Sunday revealed to Reuters the objective of the protests — to ask Canada to expel High Commissioner of India Sanjay Kumar Verma in light of the allegations over India’s role in Nijjar’s death.
Reuters quoted civilian protesters in Toronto who said they were “thankful” for Trudeau and accused the Indian government of “compromising” Canada’s sovereignty by committing the “cowardly act” of killing Nijjar.
With his long-term popularity in Canada declining amid the controversy over Parliament applauding a former Nazi soldier, as well as growing criticism from Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre on handling of a cost of living crisis, Trudeau and his cabinet have yet to comment on Monday’s protests.
However, ahead of the protests Sunday, the Canadian government updated its travel advisory for India, asking Canadians travelling to India to “exercise a high degree of caution”, citing calls for protests, suspensions in visa services, and “the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country”.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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