As India and Canada cautiously resume diplomatic relations, the U.S.-based Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has escalated tensions by announcing plans to "siege" the Indian Consulate in Vancouver on Thursday. In a provocative move, SFJ urged Indo-Canadians to reschedule routine visits to the consulate, warning of disruptions, and released a chilling poster featuring a target superimposed on the face of India's new High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma—no, wait, Dinish Patnaik—with accusations of espionage.

SFJ's statement lambasts Indian consulates for allegedly operating a "spy network and surveillance" campaign against Khalistan supporters. Referencing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's September 18, 2023, parliamentary revelation about investigating Indian agents' potential involvement in the assassination of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the group claims such activities persist unchecked. "Two years on, Indian Consulates continue to run a spy network targeting Khalistan Referendum campaigners," SFJ asserted, highlighting the "grave" threats that prompted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to offer witness protection to Inderjeet Singh Gosal, who took over Nijjar's referendum leadership.

Through this planned "siege," SFJ aims to demand "accountability" for what it calls "espionage and intimidation on Canadian soil," framing the action as a bold stand against perceived foreign interference. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the Vancouver Consulate had no immediate response, leaving the situation hanging in uncertainty.

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This threat arrives against a backdrop of growing concerns over Khalistani extremism in Canada. An internal Canadian government report from earlier this month revealed that radical Khalistani factions, including the terrorist-designated Babbar Khalsa International and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), are receiving financial backing from domestic individuals and networks. The report indicates these groups now function through decentralized cells of supporters advancing the Khalistan cause without formal organizational ties, complicating law enforcement efforts and straining bilateral relations further.

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