Sikh activists in B.C., Ontario warned by police of threat against life

RCMP have issued "duty to warn" letters to at least two Canadian Sikh activists, informing them that their lives are under threat for their involvement in attempting to establish an independent Sikh state in India. The letters were sent to Inderjeet Singh Gosal, the Canadian coordinator of non-binding referendums held in Sikh communities worldwide, and Manjinder Singh from Abbotsford, B.C.

Police stated there are credible, serious, and imminent threats against their lives, though they could not provide more specific details. Gosal clarified that the movement is peaceful and does not condone violence, emphasizing that the threats will not alter plans for the upcoming referendum in Edmonton in October. The previous Canadian Sikh organizer, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was killed in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023, an incident allegedly linked to organized crime groups based in India.

The U.S. State Justice Department recently announced the arrest of 24 suspects connected to Nijjar's assassination. India has consistently denied involvement in Nijjar's death. Relations between Canada and India deteriorated after Nijjar's murder, leading to the expulsion of diplomats from both nations. Current Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta last summer, despite the ongoing tensions.

Sikh activists have accused India of being behind Nijjar's murder, a claim India has repeatedly rejected. The relationship between Canada and India worsened following Nijjar's killing, resulting in the expulsion of each country's diplomats.