News Brief
Khalistan Terror Outfit 'Sikhs For Justice' Threaten Canadian Hindus, While Justin Trudeau's Government Looks The Other Way
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with members of the Sikh Caucus. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a group advocating for Khalistan and banned in India in 2019, has threatened Hindus of Indian origin in Canada.
They have demanded that these individuals leave Canada for supporting India and allegedly promoting violence by celebrating the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In a viral video, SFJ's legal counsel Gurpatwant Pannun stated that 'Indo-Hindus' should leave Canada and go to India because they support India and suppress the speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs.
Notably, Pannun has been designated as a terrorist in India.
This video surfaced when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested a "potential link" between Indian government agents and Nijjar's killing in June.
This claim led to diplomatic tensions between the two countries, with India dismissing Trudeau's claim as "absurd and motivated". Trudeau emphasised that Canada didn't intend to provoke or escalate the situation.
SFJ seems emboldened by the Trudeau government's recent disengagement with India.
Pannun's threat has raised concerns among Canadian Hindus, with Vijay Jain of Canadian Hindus for Harmony expressing worry about growing Hinduphobia and Hindu targeting.
Several temple desecration incidents and anti-India posters have been linked to individuals associated with the Khalistan referendum in Canada.
A petition with nearly 9,000 signatures is pending before the Canadian House of Commons, seeking to recognise Hinduphobia as a form of prejudice and discrimination in the Human Rights Code's glossary of terms.
There are concerns that Trudeau's remarks about India's alleged involvement in Nijjar's killing could incite negative sentiments and potentially endanger Canadian Hindu lives, similar to the 1985 Air India bombing.
Hindu Canadian minister Anita Anand calls for calm and unity in response to Trudeau's statement, recognising the difficulty it poses for South Asians and families with Indian roots, regardless of their religion. She urges everyone to let the legal process continue and approach the situation with empathy.
Despite the concerns and threats posed by SFJ and related incidents, the government of Canada has not taken concrete action against the outfit or made substantial efforts to reassure its Hindu citizens, leaving them in a state of unease regarding their safety and well-being in the country.
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