India High Commissioner to Canada forced to cancel event appearance due to protests linked to Amritpal Singh | World News - Hindustan Times
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India High Commissioner to Canada forced to cancel event appearance due to protests linked to Amritpal Singh

Mar 20, 2023 05:43 PM IST

India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma was forced to cancel his attendance as nearly 200 protesters, some wielding swords, gathered in front of the Taj Park Convention Centre

Toronto: As passions run high within sections of Indo-Canadian community in Canada amid rumours of the arrest of fugitive Amritpal Singh in Punjab, India’s High Commissioner in Canada had to cancel an event in British Columbia due to concerns over his safety as protesters blocked the entrance to the venue.

Punjab police personnel walk in front of house of Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh at village Jallupur Khera, Amritsar , India, on Sunday. (Sameer Sehgal /Hindustan Times)
Punjab police personnel walk in front of house of Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh at village Jallupur Khera, Amritsar , India, on Sunday. (Sameer Sehgal /Hindustan Times)

India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma was scheduled to attend a reception organised by the Friends of India & Canada Foundation in Surrey, British Columbia. However, he was forced to cancel his attendance as nearly 200 protestors, some wielding swords, gathered in front of the venue, the Taj Park Convention Centre.

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An attendee told the Hindustan Times that local police, the Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was unable to control the mob which started gathering a couple of hours before the event was scheduled to begin on Sunday evening and police advised the High Commissioner against attending the function.

Maninder Gill, president of the Foundation, said, “This is a shame if even the High Commissioner cannot be protected in this country.”

There were online threats to disrupt meetings and events being attended by Indian diplomats in the country including that of the High Commissioner. The call to the protestors asked them to “Mask up” and to leave their IDs and cellphones at home.

India’s High Commission in Ottawa had already sought upgraded security for its missions in the country for the foreseeable future.

The High Commission faced a protest by members of the Shiromani Akali Dal – Amritsar in Ottawa on Sunday afternoon, though that passed without incident unlike events in London, which saw the High Commission in the British capital vandalized.

A senior Indian official said they have sought heightened security from the nodal law enforcement agency, the RCMP, on a continuing basis as more protests are expected, particularly if Amritpal Singh is arrested in India. That standing request pertains to the High Commission in the Canadian capital as well as the Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver.

A public meeting “to discuss Bhai Amritpal Singh’s Arrest” was organised at the Sikh Spiritual Center in the town of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by the Ontario Gurdwara Committee. Gatherings from Brampton to protest action against Singh and his associates also featured Khalistan flags and banners. Similar protests are planned through the week.

There were also online threats to disrupt meetings and events being attended by Indian diplomats in the country including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma in Surrey, in the Metro Vancouver region. The call to the protestors asked them to “Mask up” and to leave their IDs and cellphones at home.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb.

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