Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has assured nearly a million Canadians of Sikh heritage that his government will always be there to protect their rights and freedom, as tens of thousands raised slogans in support of Khalistan before the former on the occasion of Khalsa Day in Toronto.
Trudeau told the crowd: “The story of the Sikh community in Canada is, in fact, the story of Canada…To the nearly 800 thousand Canadians of Sikh heritage across this country, we will always be there to protect your rights and your freedom, and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination.”
The Canadian PM also said the country is enhancing the security and infrastructure programs by “adding more security at community centers and places of worship, including Gurdwaras.”
“Your right to practice your religion freely, and without intimidation is exactly that. A fundamental right guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that we will always stand up and defend you for,” Trudeau assured the Sikh community in his Khalsa Day address about the attacks Canadian Sikhs from the Indian govt.
Thousands of Sikhs reached Toronto on for one of the biggest yearly gatherings in the city. Vaisakhi, which is also called Khalsa Day, celebrates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699. It is also the Sikh New Year.
Trudeau’s remarks come at a time when the diplomatic relations between India and Canada are on the rocks after the assassination of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and Khalistan Referendum’s Canadian head Hardeep Singh Nijjar by the Indian state agents last year and an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the SFJ founder who is both Canadian and American national. Nijjar was killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023.
In November last year, the United States (US) authorities thwarted an Indian conspiracy to assassinate a pro-Khalistan leader of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) Mr Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil and issued a warning to India’s government over concerns it was involved in the plot. The US federal prosecutors have filed a sealed indictment against at least one perpetrator of the plot in a New York district court.
Washington shared details of the Pannun case with a wider group of allies after Trudeau went public with details of the Vancouver killing, the combination of which sparked concern among allies about a possible pattern of behaviour.
US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen also said in September that Ottawa received information about the Vancouver case of Nijjar from the intelligence-sharing network “Five Eyes”, which comprises the US, United Kingdom (UK), Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The Khalistan Referendum voting campaign is being organised under the supervision of the independent Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC).
The voting started on October 31, 2021, from London — UK and have so far been held in several cities across Britian, Geneva Switzerland, Rome and Milan (Italy), Australian cities of Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney; and Canadian cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Malton (Ontario), Vancouver (British Columbia) and two states of the US.
