Hyderabad (Desk): Khalistani supporters have pasted posters across Toronto holding the Indian diplomats in Canada reponsible for the recent killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who was designated as a terrorist by the Centre, was shot dead in a shootout outside a Gurudwara in Surrey city of Canada on Jun. 19 this year.
Sources said that posters have been posted at many places across Toronto naming Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Mishra and Consul General Apoorva Srivastva for Nijjar's killing. In the poster glorifying slain Nijjar as “martyr”, the Khalistani supporters have called for 'Kill India' campaign. The Sikh separatists have also called for a Khalistan Freedom Rally on Jul. 8.
The Sikh separatists have proposed to start the rally from the Great Punjab Business Centre in Malton and end at the Indian Embassy in Toronto. Similar posters have also surfaced in Australia.
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Canadian government taking poster seriously: With social media posters of Khalistanis going viral, Canadian government has taken note of the matter. Canada's Foreign Minister Miloni Jolly said that the Canadian government is very serious about the security of Indian embassy officials. He said that the Canadian government is in contact with the Indian authorities in this regard.
He also said that the message being spread by Khalistani supporters through social media about the plan of protest on July 8 is not acceptable. The statement of the Foreign Minister of Canada has also been shared by the High Commissioner of Canada in India, Cameron McKay, on his Twitter handle.
Strong response from the Indian government: The posters drew a strong response from the Indian government, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saying that India would raise the issue with Canada and warned that not curbing such activities would damage bilateral relations. "We are working with our partner countries like Canada, USA, UK. and have requested Australia, where Khalistani activities sometimes take place, not to give space to Khalistanis because their radical thinking is not good for us, not for them and not for our relations,” Jaishankar said.
"We will take up the issue of posters with those governments. I think it would have been done by now," he added. Last week, Jaishankar blamed vote bank politics for Canada's refusal to act against pro-Khalistan elements.
