Last Updated: October 06, 2024, 11:28 IST
Canada
Rishi was attacked by some unidentified youths when he was going to Rio Banquet Hall on Sunday. (@RishiKNagar/X)
Rishi Nagar, a radio editor at Canada-based FM Calgary, was attacked by a group of unidentified youths linked to Khalistani factions last week for 'not toeing their line'
Canada Police have identified one of the Khalistan sympathisers who attacked radio journalist Rishi Nagar in Calgary on September 30 as Jaswinder Singh Grewal, with police saying he was close to extremist organisation Sikhs for Justice.
Nagar, a radio editor at Canada-based FM Calgary, was attacked by a group of unidentified youths linked to Khalistani factions last week as he was heading to the Rio Banquet Hall, according to the CCTV footage accessed by CNN-News18.
Police said Grewal had also attended an event organised by SFJ at Calgary City Hall where they glorified Air India bomber Talwinder Parmar.
Sources said Khalistani groups had attacked Nagar “for not toeing their line” after the radio presenter criticised some extremist outfits recently.
Terming it an attack on the freedom of media and thought, the sources said such incidents had increased in the recent past. Two weeks ago, a businessman had received a ransom call related to similar tensions at Dashmesh Gurudwara, underscoring ongoing threats to minorities in the country. Following the incident, Canadian authorities are probing the attack.
Pro-Khalistan activity in Canada has increased in recent months, raising concerns for the Indian government. New Delhi has urged Canada to take action against groups promoting secessionist ideologies, arguing that such activities undermine the rule of law and threaten diplomatic relations. It has asked Ottawa to take decisive measures against these anti-India elements.
India-Canada ties soured after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last September said Ottawa was “actively pursuing credible allegations” that Indian agents were potentially linked to the June killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Strongly rejecting the accusations, New Delhi on several occasions asked Ottawa to furnish solid proof.