Outrage After Tricolour Insulted at Unofficial Khalistan Referendum in Canada

Canada: During an unauthorized 'Khalistan referendum' in the Canadian capital Ottawa on Sunday, such actions came to light, which have caused a lot of anger in India. In this program some people damaged the Indian tricolor and raised inflammatory slogans. The matter has become more heated after this video surfaced on social media.

Who organized the program, and how big was the crowd?

The organization named Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) was behind this event. This is the same group that India has already banned. The number of people in the program was very high. The organizers claim that more than fifty thousand people participated. Elderly people, women, children—everyone was seen among them. People had arrived from different parts of Canada.

What was done to the Indian flag?

The video showed that some people dragged the Indian tricolor on the ground, some tore it and some waved it in an insulting manner. Along with this, anti-India and violent slogans were also raised. The entire scene was quite disturbing, especially for Indians who live there or have family in Canada.

Why is India's reaction so strong?

India has clearly said that such incidents will not be accepted at any cost. The government says that Canada should control the fundamentalist activities going on here. Indian diplomats called it a direct attack on India's sovereignty and said that insulting the tricolor is not only an insult to a country but also to its honor.

What is Canada saying on this?

Canada often defends itself by saying that people there can express their opinions peacefully. But India believes that this is not a case of “peaceful demonstration,” but it shows open provocation and hatred. India argues that it is Canada's responsibility to stop such incidents; otherwise, there will be a further rift in the relations between the two countries.

What could happen next?

According to the indications, this dispute may further affect the relations between the two countries in the coming days. India wants Canada to take action against such organizations. At the same time, Canada is also under pressure from domestic politics, because the political representation of the Punjabi community is very strong there.

At present, there is anger among the Indian community, and this issue has again become a big political debate between the two countries.