A group called Sikhs for Justice linked to the Pakistani ISI, which supports Khalistan (a separate state for Sikhs), has put a $500,000 bounty on Sanjay Kumar Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Canada. This announcement comes as the relationship between India and Canada becomes increasingly strained.
The tension escalated when the Canadian government claimed that Indian officials were involved in criminal activities on Canadian soil. This includes the recent killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, which shocked many people. In response to the situation, both countries decided to expel each other’s diplomats, marking a significant diplomatic breakdown.
On Monday, the Indian government strongly denied Canada’s accusations, expressing a lack of trust in the safety measures Ottawa promised to ensure for Indian diplomats. In a social media post, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of Sikhs for Justice, announced the hefty reward, stating that the group would track Verma’s movements, even after he leaves Canada. They urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to investigate Verma and take action against him.
Pannun, who holds citizenship in both the U.S. and Canada, has been labeled a “terrorist” by the Indian government since 2020 for advocating Khalistan and challenging India’s sovereignty. Recently, he has also been part of a U.S. investigation regarding a failed assassination attempt against him in New York, which allegedly involved an Indian government official. This incident is connected to Nijjar’s death, with both Canada and the U.S. working together to gather evidence against India.
Prime Minister Trudeau mentioned that intelligence from the Five Eyes alliance, which includes Canada, the U.S., the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, played a crucial role in collecting evidence against India. However, India claims that Canada has no solid proof to back its allegations, despite multiple requests for clarity.
Pannun has made various threats against Indian officials and citizens in the past, even suggesting he might start independence movements in border regions of India. This tension echoes a dark history, as Sikh militants were involved in a deadly bombing of an Air India flight in 1985, which killed all 329 people on board.
While this situation unfolds, India has raised concerns with the U.S. and Canada about attacks on its diplomatic missions and Hindu temples, which are believed to be carried out by Khalistani supporters.
The growing conflict between these two nations raises questions about the future of their diplomatic relations and the safety of the officials involved.
