Sikh groups in British Columbia are calling for the closure of India’s consulates in Vancouver and Toronto, following recent allegations of India’s involvement in crimes targeting the Sikh community in Canada. Representatives from the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, where its president Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed last year, alongside members of the pro-Khalistan independence group Sikhs for Justice, voiced concerns over the continued presence of Indian diplomatic missions.
Gurkeerat Singh, spokesperson for the gurdwara, expressed that the Sikh community’s safety remains in jeopardy until the consulates are shut down. His comments follow the expulsion of six Indian diplomats by the Canadian government, including the high commissioner, after the RCMP provided evidence linking them to crimes such as homicide and extortion connected to the Khalistan movement.
India has denied these allegations, maintaining that its diplomats did not engage in coercive activities involving South Asian Canadians. However, Jatinder Singh Grewal of Sikhs for Justice stressed that the threat to Canadian Sikhs has only intensified since the previous expulsion of an Indian diplomat in September last year.
“These houses of terror, they need to be shut down,” Grewal stated, referring to the consulates.
Canada expelled the diplomats, including Sanjay Kumar Verma, due to the RCMP’s investigation into violent activities allegedly orchestrated by Indian officials. India retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats in response. Despite these measures, Sikh advocacy groups continue to push for further action, arguing that diplomatic immunity should not protect those threatening Canadian sovereignty.