Khalistanis threaten to ‘target’ Indian envoy to Canada

The secessionist Sikhs for Justice or SFJ has threatened to “challenge-target-question” India’s envoy to Canada ahead of his first visit to Surrey since Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed there last year.

The high commissioner of India to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, said the threat from SFJ leader Gurpatwant Pannun had been conveyed to Canadian authorities “who have assured me of my security”.

Verma’s engagements

Verma’s visit to the province of British Columbia includes stops in the capital Victoria as well as Vancouver and Surrey. On Friday, he will meet Surrey’s Mayor Brenda Locke and the Surrey Board of Trade.

In an email, Pannun said his group will confront Verma on March 1.

Pannun said: “India is responsible for orchestrating assassination of Nijjar and pro-Khalistan Sikhs will have an opportunity in Surrey to directly ‘Challenge-Target-Question’” the Indian High Commissioner. A protest is also being organised in Surrey then.”

Khalistani Pannun

The Indian diplomat pointed out that SFJ was outlawed in India. “It continues its venomous efforts to derail otherwise rich Canada-India bilateral relations.”

“He (Pannun) has been doing so for quite some time, without any cost put on him by society or the system and by misusing freedom of speech.”

Nijjar, SFJ’s principal figure in the Victorian province, was gunned down in June last year.

Bilateral relations

His murder strained bilateral relations between India and Canada, after prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged a potential link between Indian agents and the killing.

Since then, SFJ has run a poster campaign targetting India’s diplomats in Canada including Verma.

In March last year, Verma had to cancel an appearance at a reception organised by the Friends of India and Canada Foundation in Surrey as nearly 200 protestors, some with swords, blocked the entrance.