'Khalistanis are not Sikhs': Pro and Anti Khalistan protesters face off in Toronto, Watch video

A group of Indian community members gathered outside the consulate in Toronto to safeguard their diplomats and the consulate office, while simultaneously confronting a pro-Khalistan protest in Canada.

The Indian diaspora waved the Tricolour flag and chanted slogans such as “Bharat Mata ki jai” (Long live Mother India), “Vande Mataram” (I bow to thee, Mother), “Long Live India,” and “Down with Khalistan.”

They also held placards proclaiming “Khalistanis are not Sikh” and “Canada, stop supporting Khalistani Canadian terrorists.”

Disturbingly, the pro-Khalistan protesters in a video appeared to disrespect the Indian national flag ‘with a shoe’.

#WATCH | Members of the Indian diaspora held a counter protest against pro-Khalistan supporters in front of the Indian consulate in Canada's Toronto on July 8 pic.twitter.com/lZvRiSdVs1

— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2023

Vidya Bhushan Dhar, who joined the counter-protest outside the consulate, stated, “Canada is known for its peaceful nature, and we intend to uphold peace. Our main objective is to urge the Canadian government to recognize that this is not freedom of expression. It is clearly not an expression of freedom.”

“When someone threatens to harm or carries out violent acts, such as the incident in Branton last week, it goes beyond freedom of expression and promotes dissent and separatism. Thus, Canadians like me and Sunil ji are kindly requesting the Canadian government to take note of this and appropriate action to address the troublemakers,” he added.

Pro-Khalistani elements had announced their intention to hold rallies outside Indian Missions in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia following the alleged killing of Khalistan Tiger Force leader Hardeep Singh Nijar in Canada the previous month.

Subsequently, posters surfaced containing threats towards Indian ambassadors in Canada and the US, as well as the consulate general in Toronto.

Over the past few months, Canada has witnessed three significant incidents involving Khalistani separatists opposing India.

According to sources, on Monday, India expressed concerns regarding threats to its diplomats through posters circulating in Canada, announcing a pro-Khalistan rally scheduled for July 8.

These posters specifically targeted the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and the Consulate General of India in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava, accusing them of involvement in the alleged killing of Khalistan Tiger Force leader Nijjar.