Vancouver, British โฃColumbia -โฃ Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), aโ Khalistani separatist group, has vowed to “siege” the โIndian Consulate in Vancouver, sharing aโข posterโฃ that directly targets India’sโ newly appointed High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay kumarโข Verma. The threat, issuedโ onโข September 17, 2023, โคcomes amidst heightened tensions followingโค the June 18, โฃ2023, killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominentโข Khalistani leader, โin surrey, British Columbia.
The SFJ’s proclamation โขescalates the ongoing diplomatic dispute โbetween india and Canada,which has included reciprocal expulsions of diplomats andโ travel advisories. Canadian Prime โMinister Justin Trudeau publicly stated on September โ18, 2023, that thereโ were “credible allegations” linkingโ agents of the Indian government to Nijjar’s assassinationโฃ – accusations India has โขvehemently denied.โฃ The โSFJ’s planned โขprotest aims โขto pressure india regarding the inquiryโ into Nijjar’s death and broader demands for a separate Sikh state. The poster shared by the group featuresโค a photograph ofโฃ High Commissioner Verma with a red “X” across it, alongside โขtext declaring the consulate will be “besieged.”
Theโฃ Royal Canadian mounted Police (RCMP) are reportedly monitoring the situation andโ assessing the credibility of the threat. The Indian Consulate in Vancouver has not yet issued a โคpublic statement regarding the SFJ’s announcement,but โขsources indicate increased security โขmeasures are โbeing implemented. Sikhs for Justice has a history of organizing โprotestsโค andโฃ referendums advocating for Khalistan, and hasโ beenโ designated a terrorist organization by India. โฃThe group’s actions areโค closely watched by security agencies in both Canada and the United โStates.