India summons Canada’s deputy envoy over pro-Khalistan slogans at Justin Trudeau event

India on Monday summoned Canada’s deputy envoy to register a strong protest against the shouting of pro-Khalistan slogans at an event in Toronto attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other political leaders.

The development came against the backdrop of strained India-Canada relations, which plunged to an all-time low last year after Trudeau alleged there was a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey last June.

Canadian deputy high commissioner Stewart Wheeler was summoned to the external affairs ministry in connection with “the raising of separatist slogans on ‘Khalistan’ at an event which was being personally addressed” by the Canadian prime minister, the ministry said in a statement.

The Indian government’s “deep concern and strong protest was conveyed at such disturbing actions being allowed to continue unchecked”, the statement said in a reference to the Khalsa Day Parade in Toronto on Sunday afternoon.

The external affairs ministry, which has often criticised the Canadian government for its perceived failure to curb the activities of pro-Khalistan elements, said such actions will impact bilateral relations.

The venue was decorated with numerous Khalistan pennants and signs that attacked the Indian government and officials.

The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which has been declared a terrorist group by India, announced at the event that it will hold the next phase of its so-called “Khalistan Referendum” in Calgary on July 28.

Trudeau, who was accompanied by four cabinet ministers and four Liberal Party MPs, pledged in speech that his government will always “protect” the rights and freedoms of the Sikh community in Canada.