Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the US-based Khalistani separatist outfit banned in India, has threatened to “siege” the Indian Consulate in Vancouver on September 18, even as New Delhi and Ottawa cautiously resumed diplomatic engagement after nearly two years of strain.
The threat comes barely weeks after both countries named their new high commissioners, following an understanding reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney during Modi’s G7 summit visit in June.
SFJ released a poster showing the face of India’s new High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, marked with a crosshair target a chilling attempt at intimidation. The outfit urged Indo-Canadians and Indians in Vancouver to stay away from the consulate premises, declaring that its cadres would “take over” the diplomatic building.
The group justified its call by citing alleged “espionage and intimidation on Canadian soil,” invoking the controversial remarks made by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023, when he told the Canadian Parliament that his government was investigating “credible allegations” of Indian agents’ involvement in the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, a leader of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. India dismissed Trudeau’s claims as “absurd” and “politically motivated,” while slamming Ottawa for turning a blind eye to extremist activity on its soil.
The threat has triggered security alarms. SFJ claimed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had placed Inderjeet Singh Gosal who took over the so-called “Khalistan Referendum” campaign after Nijjar’s death under “witness protection,” citing the “grave” nature of the situation.
The RCMP has not issued a public statement, but Indian diplomatic circles remain watchful, given the violent imagery and past incidents of vandalism of Indian missions in Canada.
The threat also comes against the backdrop of a Canadian government report released earlier this month, which acknowledged the presence of Khalistani extremist groups in the country.
The report 2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada highlighted that outfits like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) have continued to benefit from illicit funding networks in Canada. The findings directly contradicted Ottawa’s past reluctance to admit the Khalistani problem.
India and Canada had recently moved to restore some diplomatic normalcy. Following a sharp freeze after Trudeau’s 2023 allegations, both sides agreed this year to appoint new high commissioners a step seen as an effort to stabilize ties.
However, SFJ’s latest announcement risks once again plunging the bilateral relationship into tension. For New Delhi, the safety of its diplomats abroad remains non-negotiable, while for Ottawa, the threat of being seen as permissive toward extremism could weaken its global standing.
This is not the first time SFJ has issued threats. The outfit, led by US-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has orchestrated violent propaganda campaigns, funded Khalistan referendums, and even threatened to attack Indian infrastructure, including flights and railway networks. India banned SFJ in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), citing its links with Pakistan’s ISI.
The Vancouver “siege call” is consistent with SFJ’s pattern of exploiting Canada’s democratic freedoms and legal loopholes to advance Khalistani extremism, even as Ottawa struggles to balance diaspora politics with international diplomacy.
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