Khalistan 'Embassy' at Site Linked to Nijjar Puts India-Canada Relations at Risk

Diplomatic ties between India and Canada, which were starting to improve, now face danger following the creation of a self‑styled Khalistan "embassy" on Canadian soil. In Surrey, British Columbia, some Sikh activists have set up a so-called “Embassy of Khalistan” inside part of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. The same gurdwara had been led by Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro‑Khalistan figure whose killing in 2023 caused a deep diplomatic freeze between the two countries. Nijjar was shot dead in the parking lot of that very gurdwara.

Supports Nijjar, Tied to Upcoming Referendum

The new symbolic embassy openly backs Nijjar and comes amid preparations for a Khalistan referendum organised by the banned group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Indian agencies are monitoring the situation closely, as per the source. This move risks stalling efforts to mend relations—something both nations had signalled, including during a first-ever in‑person meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Canada’s new PM, Mark Carney, at this year’s G7 summit.

India’s Long‑Standing Security Concerns Echoed by Canada

India has repeatedly raised concerns about Khalistani groups using Canada as a base for promotion, fundraising, and planning violence targeting India. Delhi views this latest development as further proof of Ottawa’s failure to act, harking back to the 1985 Air India bombing and continuing through current threats. In June, Canada’s security agency, CSIS, officially named Canada‑based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) as a significant source of politically motivated violent extremism. Though no CBKE‑linked attacks occurred in 2024, the agency warned such groups remain active in financing and plotting abroad. The CSIS report emerged alongside an ongoing probe into Nijjar’s death, in which four individuals were arrested in May 2024 and charged with first‑degree murder and conspiracy.