India asks Canada to ensure security at its missions ahead of Republic Day

Ahead of Republic Day festivities at India’s diplomatic missions in Canada, New Delhi has requested Ottawa to ensure the security of its diplomatic premises on 26 January due to potential protests by pro-Khalistan elements.

“We have sensitized Canadian authorities about the requirement of safety and security of the Indian High Commission and Consulates,” Hindustan Times report quoted India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma as saying.

This marks the first occasion on which national celebrations, including flag-hoisting ceremonies, will be organised at the missions since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on September 18, acknowledged “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, considered a terrorist in India, was killed on 18 June in Surrey, British Columbia, as stated by Trudeau in the House of Commons.

“On the occasion of 75th Republic Day of India, there will be a flag unfurling ceremony on 26th January 2024 at @HCI_Ottawa,” the Indian mission in Ottawa wrote on X on January 19.

On the occasion of 75th Republic Day of India, there will be a flag unfurling ceremony on 26th January 2024 at @HCI_Ottawa
All Indian nationals and friends of India are welcome. pic.twitter.com/lwhGgkXfS6

— India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) January 19, 2024

Concerns about security persist following protests triggered by the arrest of Waris Punjab De leader Amritpal Singh in March of the previous year. These protests culminated in a demonstration at the High Commission, where, on 23 March, 2023, demonstrators breached the street adjacent to the High Commission’s location, rattling its fence and deploying two flash bangs near the perimeter.

In response, the National Investigation Agency filed a chargesheet in June, identifying Amarjot Singh, Amritpal Singh’s brother-in-law, as the leader of the protest that saw smoke bombs thrown at the High Commission. Although the Ottawa Police Service investigated the incident, no arrests were reported.

Following Nijjar’s murder, the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) intensified its criticism of Indian officials in Canada. They utilized posters featuring the word ‘Wanted’ beneath photographs and names of India’s highest-ranking diplomats in Canada—its High Commissioner in Ottawa and Consul Generals in Vancouver and Toronto. Numerous temples also became targets, with these posters affixed to their walls or gates. In December, protests occurred at Consular camps organized by India’s missions in Canada.

With inputs from agencies