On Khalsa Day in Canada, pro-Khalistan slogans were raised in the presence of Prime Minister Trudeau

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Chants of “Khalistan Zindabad” were raised at the event, which was also attended by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

A similar example was seen when Pierre Poilivre, leader of Canada’s official opposition party, took to the stage to begin his address to those gathered at the event.

Thousands of people descended on downtown Toronto on Sunday for one of the city’s biggest annual celebrations. According to the Ontario Sikh and Gurdwara Council (OSGC), Vaishakhi, also known as Khalsa Day, celebrates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699 as well as the Sikh New Year.

The group has hosted an annual parade down Lake Shore Boulevard for several years. According to CBC News, the council claims it is the third largest parade in the country and regularly attracts thousands of spectators.

Raised slogans in support of Khalistan
As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proceeded to address the Sikh community in Toronto, loud chants of support for Khalistan came from the crowd. Trudeau reassured the country’s Sikh community and said the government is there to protect their rights and freedom at all costs.

“Diversity is one of Canada’s greatest strengths and the country is strong not in spite of its differences, but because of those differences,” he said.

Trudeau said, “One of Canada’s greatest strengths is its diversity. We are strong because of our differences, not in spite of our differences, but when we see these differences, we have to remember them, and so on” in the days of, and Every day, Sikh values ​​are Canadian values.”

“To the approximately 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage across this country, we will always be there to protect your rights and your freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hate and discrimination,” he said.

The Canadian PM also said the country is stepping up security and infrastructure programs by increasing security at places of worship, including community centers and gurudwaras.

Fundamental rights of Sikhs protected – PM Trudeau

Trudeau assured the Sikh community in his Khalsa Day address, “Your right to practice your religion freely and without fear is exactly that. A fundamental right guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, because we will always stand and protect you.”

However, Trudeau’s comments come at a time when diplomatic relations between India and Canada are going through difficult times.

The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an Indian-designated terrorist, sparked controversy, especially between India and Canada.

Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot dead on the evening of June 18, 2023, while coming out of a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia.

A video of his killing, which surfaced as recently as March, shows Nijjar being shot dead by armed men in what has been described as a ‘contract killing’.

After this, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian government was involved in the murder. India rejected this claim. After this, diplomatic relations between Canada and India soured.

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