The members of the Indian community took out a rally with the national flag to counter a pro-Khalistani protest outside the Indian consulate in Canada’s Toronto on July 8.
On one hand, Khalistani supporters stood outside the consulate with their flags, and on the other hand, members of the Indian community held a counter-demonstration and waved the Indian Tricolour to send out a clear message.
A video shared by news agency ANI shows a group of Khalistani supporters standing on one side of the road, waving Khalistani flags. The video also shows one of the men in a turban desecrating the national flag.
On the other side of the road, the members of the Indian diaspora held a counter-protest, waving the Indian national flag and holding a placard which read “Khalistanis are not Sikhs” outside the Indian consulate. Indians residing in Canada also chanted slogans of “Jai Bharat Mata” and “Vande Mataram.”
The Khalistani group held posters of SFJ leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was murdered in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. The posters accused India of being behind the assassination. Nijjar was alleged to be the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force by Indian law enforcement and faced several terror-related charges.
Canadian Khalistanis began their protest by posting a sign overnight at a Hindu Temple in Brampton, Ontario. It calls the area a “War Zone”. The poster targeted top Indian diplomats in Canada with Khalistanis labelling them “faces of Shaheed Nijjar’s killing in Canada”.
According to sources, the ‘Kill India Rally’ was led by Khalistani terrorists like Gurupatwant Singh Pannu and Paramjit Singh Pamma, who are accused of getting funding from the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.
About 250 pro-Khalistani elements gathered across the street from the building housing India’s consulate, which targeted India’s most senior envoys in Canada. The pro-Khalistan group attempted to breach the barricade and storm the pro-India contingent.
On Saturday, Khalistani supporters, including those in London, Australia, and Canada, organised a rally called ‘Kill India Rally’. The march in London was led by Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Pamma who is currently hiding there after fleeing from India.
A small group of protesters turned out on Saturday for a protest called by Khalistani groups outside the Indian High Commission in London. There was a very visible police presence throughout the protest, which wrapped up sooner than expected.
The rally, which used controversial posters inciting violence with images of the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and Dr Shashank Vikram, Consul General of India in Birmingham, had a relatively low-key turnout.