New Delhi has slammed Ottawa after Sikh separatists held a rally featuring a dummy of the Indian PM depicted “behind bars”
India has delivered a stern rebuke to Canada over what it termed a “celebration and glorification of violence” in response to a rally held in Ontario on Sunday where Sikh activists campaigned for the Khalistan cause.
The Khalistan movement seeks to create a separate nation-state carved out of India’s Punjab state and surrounding areas, an idea that New Delhi sees as a threat to its territorial integrity.
The rally, organized by the Ontario Gurdwara Committee, featured separatist slogans and floats, and also a dummy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi depicted behind bars.
Pro-Khalistan activists in Canada have often targeted India’s leadership in their rallies and burnt their effigies. In its rebuke, the Indian Foreign Ministry raised concerns over the “violent imagery” being used by “extremist elements” in Canada against India’s political leadership.
“Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression,” India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. New Delhi also expressed “concern” about the security of its diplomats in Canada and urged the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure that they can operate “without fear.”
The rebuke comes just days after New Delhi summoned a senior Canadian diplomat over another event in Toronto where pro-Khalistan slogans were heard. That event was attended by top Canadian officials, including Trudeau.
Ties between India and Canada deteriorated after Trudeau publicly alleged New Delhi’s involvement in the assassination of prominent Sikh secessionist Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver in 2023. India angrily dismissed the accusations as “absurd” and “motivated” and briefly suspended visas for Canadian nationals in the early days of the spat. Last week, Canadian police announced that they had arrested three men of Indian origin in the case. The authorities reiterated they are investigating the suspects’ “links with India.”
Meanwhile, New Delhi has repeatedly accused Canada of harboring extremism on its soil. In its latest rebuke, New Delhi asked Ottawa “to stop providing criminal and secessionist elements a safe haven and political space in Canada.”
US federal prosecutors have linked the killing of Nijjar to another attempted assassination they claim originated in New Delhi: the supposed attempt to kill the controversial Sikh advocate and dual US and Canadian citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who leads the organization Sikhs for Justice. The group is outlawed by India. Last year, New Delhi set up a committee to investigate the “relevant aspects” of the Pannun case.
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