As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped forward to address the Sikh Community in Toronto, strong pro-Khalistan slogans were raised. Undeterred, Trudeau reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and freedoms of the Sikh community at any cost.
“One of Canada’s greatest strengths is its diversity. We are strong not in spite of our differences, but because of our differences; but even as we look at these differences, we have to remember, and get reminded on days such as this, and every day, that Sikh values are Canadian values…” Trudeau asserted during the Khalsa Day Celebrations in Toronto on Sunday, ANI reported.
Referring to the nearly 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage, Trudeau pledged perpetual support, promising, “We will always be there to protect your rights and your freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination.”

Highlighting measures to bolster security and infrastructure, Trudeau emphasized, “Your right to practice your religion freely, and without intimidation is exactly that. A fundamental right guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of rights and Freedoms that we will always stand up and defend you for,” Trudeau assured the Sikh community in his Khalsa Day address, while noting that his government is “adding more security at community centres and places of worship, including Gurdwaras.”

However, amidst Trudeau’s assurances, pro-Khalistan chants echoed in the background, a reminder of lingering tensions.

Continuing his address, Trudeau addressed the desire of many to foster closer ties with loved ones, announcing, “I know many of you have loved ones that you want to see more often, that is why our government has negotiated a new agreement with India to add more flights, and more routes between our countries, and we will keep working with our counterparts to add even more flights, including to Amritsar.”Thousands thronged downtown Toronto for the annual Khalsa Day festivities, a significant event commemorating the founding of the Sikh community in 1699 and the Sikh New Year, organized by the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwaras Council (OSGC).Trudeau’s remarks come against the backdrop of strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada, exacerbated by the killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

The emergence of a video depicting Nijjar’s killing reignited tensions, with Trudeau alleging Indian involvement, a claim vehemently denied by India, further souring diplomatic ties.

The video captured Nijjar leaving the Gurdwara premises in his pickup truck, only to be ambushed and shot by assailants before fleeing the scene.

Trudeau’s accusations, made last September, were met with India’s dismissal, labeling them “absurd and motivated,” as Canada failed to furnish substantiating evidence, as per the Ministry of External Affairs.

(With ANI inputs)