Anti-India slogans raised, Tricolour desecrated in Canada during Khalistan Referendum. [Photo: X]
Anti-India slogans were raised during a ‘Khalistan Referendum’ event organised by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in Ottawa on Sunday. SFJ, banned in India under the UAPA for extremist activities, announced the unauthorised referendum.
Videos from the event showed Khalistani supporters chanting anti-India slogans, including calls to “kill” Indian leaders. Footage also captured the desecration of the Indian national flag.
Videos showed police officers present at the event, but no action was taken against the participants. SFJ claimed that over 53,000 Sikhs from Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec took part in the referendum.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ’s general counsel and a designated terrorist by India, addressed attendees through a satellite message.
Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, reacted strongly to the referendum. He called it “farcical” and stressed that India does not object to political demands raised legally.
“You people know what a referendum is. You have done referendums in the past. You know how farcical this is. Referendums have a certain process. This is a referendum by Canadians done in Canada. If you want to do it, do it.
The problem that happens is that back home in India, they see this as Canadian interference in India, as Canadians see anything as Indian interference in Canada. That's something Canada has to think about,” he said in an interview with CBC.
The referendum took place a day after Canadian PM Mark Carney met Indian PM Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. Earlier in June, Canada labelled “Khalistani extremists” a national security threat in a key intelligence report.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) said, “while there were no Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs)-related attacks in Canada in 2024, ongoing involvement in violent activities by CBKEs continues to pose a national security threat to Canada and Canadian interests.” This was the first time Canada officially used the term ‘extremists’ for Khalistanis.
In September 2025, Canada raised fresh concerns about Khalistani extremist groups operating in its territory. Authorities noted that these groups raise funds, including through the misuse of charitable organisations, to support violent activities.
The Canadian Finance Ministry’s 2025 “Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks” report highlighted the challenges posed by Khalistani extremism. Officials warned that this poses risks to both domestic security and international relations.
This event has intensified India-Canada discussions on cross-border security and extremist activities. Experts suggest that ongoing SFJ activities could affect Canada’s diplomatic relations with India if such incidents continue.
