Sikh protesters burn Indian flag in Canada over Nijjar’s murder, hit PM Modi’s cutout with shoe

Canadian Sikhs held protests outside Indian diplomatic missions in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver. In Toronto, demonstrators even went to the extent of burning the Indian flag and hitting a cardboard figure of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with shoes. About 100 protesters took part in Toronto and nearly 200 in Vancouver.

In Ottawa, protesters were seen outside the Indian High Commissioner's office, waving flags that read "Khalistan", which signifies their support for a separate state for Sikhs in India. A protester mentioned their gratitude towards Trudeau and called for exhaustive investigations to prevent future attacks on innocent people.

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"We are really thankful to Justin Trudeau... We want no stone left unturned to get to the bottom of this cowardly act," Reuters quoted one of the protesters as saying.

Diplomatic relations between Canada and India have become increasingly tense over the murder of a Canadian Sikh separatist leader. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced that intelligence agencies were investigating “credible” allegations linking Indian agents to the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

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The recent allegations have heightened tensions between the two countries, leading to reciprocal expulsions of diplomats and India's temporary suspension of visas for Canadians. India's response has been dismissive, labelling Trudeau's claims as "absurd" and issuing a travel advisory that warned its citizens about rising "anti-India activities" in Canada.

The spotlight is now firmly on Canada's Sikh community, which is the largest Sikh population outside of Punjab. They have in the past been a subject of contention between the two nations. India has previously labelled Hardeep Singh Nijjar a "terrorist".

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Sanjay Kumar Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, acknowledged being informed about the protests and stated that security measures were in place. Meanwhile, Sikhs, making up a majority in the Punjab region but only 2% of India's population, continue to rally for their cause, further intensifying this international diplomatic crisis.

(With Reuters inputs)