Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the US-based Khalistani outfit, has escalated tensions by threatening to “siege” the Indian Consulate in Vancouver on September 18. The demand comes after New Delhi and Ottawa resumed diplomatic ties following years of strain over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

SFJ has also put out a poster which shows a target crosshair over the face of the new Indian high commissioner, Dinish Patnaik. They say this is in response to what they call India’s espionage and intimidation on Canadian soil, especially targeting campaigners for the Khalistan Referendum.

They’ve urged Indo-Canadians to stay away from the consulate during the planned action, saying that the “threat is so grave” that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had to place Inderjeet Singh Gosal, who leads the Referendum campaign after Nijjar’s death, under witness protection.

Canada, in recent times, officially recognised presence of Khalistani terror groups in its territory. Ties between India and Canada had been badly strained since Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s statement in Parliament on September 18, 2023, when he said there were credible allegations linking Indian agents to Nijjar’s killing. India rejected those as absurd. 

This new threat by SFJ is likely to further complicate diplomatic relations, particularly with fresh envoys in place and expectations of calm after recent rapprochements. Many will be watching how both governments respond, especially in matters of security and public safety.