Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly arrives at the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to appear as a witness, in Ottawa, Thursday, June 8, 2023. Joly is raising concerns about "unacceptable" imagery for an upcoming protest by Sikh organizations, and is pledging to protect India's diplomats in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she is concerned about the safety of India’s diplomats following what she calls an “unacceptable” poster for an upcoming protest near Toronto.
The protest is planned in memory of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was killed in a shooting in British Columbia in June.
A poster for the protest circulating on social media includes photos of India’s top two diplomats in Canada, calls them “killers in Toronto” and suggests it’s time to “kill India.”
Niijar was a vocal opponent of India and supporter of an independent Sikh state but police say they have found no link to India in their investigation.
Joly says Canada takes the safety of foreign diplomats “very seriously” and is in touch with Indian officials about the poster.
New Delhi has long accused Canada of harbouring extremists who want to carve out a state within India, but Ottawa says that freedom of speech means groups can voice political opinions if they don’t use violence.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.
