Khalistanis threaten siege of Indian consulate in Canada over Nijjar killing

A US-based Khalistani terrorist outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has called for a 12-hour "siege" of the Indian Consulate in Vancouver, reigniting concerns about the security of Indian diplomats and missions in Canada. The separatist group, which has been banned in India since 2019, announced that the protest would take place on Thursday, September 18, over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June 2023. A provocative SFJ poster showed the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, in the crosshairs.

In its statement, the SFJ accused Indian missions in Canada of running a surveillance network against Khalistan supporters. The poster branded Patnaik the "new face of Hindutva terror in Canada", echoing the outfit's long-standing hostility towards Indian diplomats posted in the country.

The Khalistani terrorist group claimed the planned "siege" would serve as a symbolic protest against what it termed "state-backed espionage and intimidation" of Khalistan activists on Canadian soil. "Pro-Khalistan Sikhs—torchbearers of Shaheed Nijjar—will lay a historic siege of the Consulate to demand accountability," the statement said, referring to Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canada-based Khalistan terrorist who was killed in June 2023 outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. The shooting is most likely the result of rivalry among the Sikh gangs in Canada.

Nijjar's killing became a major flashpoint in India-Canada relations.

In September 2023, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were "credible allegations" linking Indian agents to Nijjar's assassination, sparking a diplomatic row between Ottawa and New Delhi. India rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "politically motivated", accusing Canada of turning a blind eye to extremist activity within its borders.

The controversy led to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries and the temporary suspension of visa services.

Later on, Trudeau admitted that he didn't have evidence to back his claim, and that it was just an intel tip off.

With both India and Canada recently appointing high commissioners after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, at the G7 summit in June 2025, the ties are seeing a thaw.

The latest Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) threat to siege the Indian consulate in Vancouver could come as a spanner in the diplomatic works to reset relations.

Adding to the tensions, SFJ claimed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had to offer witness protection to one of its leaders, Inderjeet Gosal, under pressure from alleged Indian intelligence activity. Such assertions, while unverified, feed into the group's broader narrative of Indian interference in Canada.

The announced protest will yet again challenge Canada in balancing its democratic freedoms—including the right to protest—with its responsibility to prevent extremist threats against foreign diplomats.

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