• By Vivek Raj
  • Wed, 20 Sep 2023 02:28 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Banned pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has issued a threat to Hindus of Indian-origin in Canada, urging them to leave the country over their support for India and for allegedly “promoting violence” by celebrating the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

SFJ's legal counsel, Gurpatwant Pannun, who has been designated as a terrorist in India, made a provocative statement in a viral video. “Indo-Hindu leave Canada; go to India. You not only support India but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs,” he said.

The video emerged after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested a "potential link" between Indian government agents and Nijjar's killing, leading to diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

Vijay Jain, spokesperson for Canadian Hindus for Harmony, expressed concern over Pannun's threat, highlighting a growing trend of Hinduphobia. “We are now seeing full-scale Hinduphobia out across the board,” he said (Hindustan Times Quoted).

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He also referenced a petition before the Canadian House of Commons seeking recognition of Hinduphobia to describe anti-Hindu prejudice and discrimination in the Human Rights Code, which has garnered nearly 9000 signatures.

Jain expressed apprehension that Trudeau's remarks could exacerbate the situation, evoking memories of the Khalistani bombing of an Air India Montreal-London–Delhi–Bombay flight, which claimed hundreds of lives in June, 1985. This incident remains a painful chapter in Canadian history, marked by an annual National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism on June 23.

In a post on X, (formerly Twitter) Rupa Subramanya, a commentator, questioned inaction over Pannun’s threat. “If a white supremacist had threatened saying all people of colour must leave Canada, imagine the uproar. Yet when a Khalistani threatens Hindus in Canada at an event in Canada, everyone bats their eyelid and looks the other way.” She wrote.

 

SFJ has indicated feeling "emboldened" by the recent disengagement of the Trudeau government from India.

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Amidst these tensions, Canadian minister Anita Anand, a Hindu, called for calm and unity. “South Asians and families who come from India, regardless of religion, will share the sentiment that it was difficult to hear Trudeau’s statement on Monday. This is a time to let the legal process continue as it must. Let us all remain calm, unified, and empathetic.”