Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:04am on 25 Nov 2025,Tuesday India Global
Over 53,000 Canadian Sikhs participated in an unofficial "Khalistan Referendum" in Ottawa on Sunday, organized by India-banned group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Outside McNabb Community Centre, participants desecrated the Indian national flag and chanted violent slogans targeting Indian leaders while police liaison officers watched without intervention. Queues stretched nearly two kilometers, with voting extending beyond scheduled hours. SFJ's general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, designated a terrorist by India, addressed participants via satellite. Videos showed supporters carrying yellow Khalistan flags and raising aggressive anti-India chants. The event coincided with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney meeting PM Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in South Africa, timing SFJ called "suspicious" amid recent India-Canada diplomatic efforts to ease bilateral tensions.
