Vancouver: Vancouver is once again on alert after the banned pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) announced plans to stage a “siege” of the Indian Consulate on Thursday. The outfit, headquartered in the United States, issued a call asking Indo-Canadians to postpone any scheduled visits to the mission that day.
The threat was accompanied by a provocative poster targeting India’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik. SFJ alleged that Indian diplomatic missions in Canada were engaged in espionage activities and monitoring the Khalistan movement.
In its statement, the group linked the announcement to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks in Parliament two years ago — on 18 September 2023 — when he claimed Indian agents were being investigated in connection with the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. SFJ accused Indian officials of continuing surveillance on those supporting the Khalistan Referendum.
The organisation further claimed that Inderjeet Singh Gosal, who took charge of the referendum campaign following Nijjar’s death, required witness protection from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) due to alleged threats. Through this “siege,” SFJ says it will press for accountability against what it calls Indian interference on Canadian soil.
Neither India’s Ministry of External Affairs nor the Indian Consulate in Vancouver had issued an official response at the time of reporting.
Khalistani extremism under scanner in Canada
The development comes against the backdrop of a Canadian intelligence assessment earlier this month, which confirmed that extremist Khalistani groups continue to receive financial backing within the country. Among them are Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), both proscribed under Canada’s Criminal Code.
According to the report, such groups increasingly function through loose networks of individuals sympathetic to the Khalistan cause, rather than as structured organisations.
The SFJ’s latest threat is expected to further test ties between India and Canada, which have only recently begun to normalise following months of diplomatic strain.
