As India and Canada begin to restore diplomatic ties, the US-based Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has threatened to "siege" the Indian Consulate in Vancouver. The group announced that it will attempt to take over the mission on Thursday and advised Indo-Canadians visiting the consulate to postpone their plans.

SFJ also circulated a poster featuring India’s new High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, with a target mark on his face.

In its statement, the group alleged that Indian consulates are “running a spy network and surveillance targeting Khalistanis.”

The outfit referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2023 remarks in Parliament about the alleged involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“Two years on, Indian Consulates continue to run a spy network and surveillance targeting Khalistan Referendum campaigners,” SFJ claimed.

The group added that after Nijjar’s death, the threat to its campaigners was so high that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had to place Inderjeet Singh Gosal, who now leads the Khalistan Referendum campaign, under witness protection.

SFJ said its planned “siege” of the consulate is aimed at demanding “accountability” for what it called “espionage and intimidation on Canadian soil.”

At the time of this report, neither the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi nor the Indian Consulate in Vancouver had responded to the threats.

Earlier this month, the Canadian government acknowledged in an internal report that extremist Khalistani groups were receiving funds from networks and individuals within the country.

The report specifically mentioned Babbar Khalsa International and International SYF, both listed as terrorist organisations under Canada’s Criminal Code. It added that many pro-Khalistan activities are now carried out by smaller groups or individuals who support the cause but are not formally linked to any organisation.