By Haseeb Arsalan
VANCOUVER, CANADA: More than 200,000 Canadian Sikhs voted in the Khalistan Referendum in Surrey British Columbia here in two phases.
The referendum was dedicated to Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was assassinated by Indian agents on June 18 outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Surrey of which he was the president.
At the conclusion of Oct 29 voting, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun addressed the gathering virtually from Washington DC. He stated that Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder had exposed India as a terror-sponsoring state before the whole world, as confirmed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Pannun added: “Over 60,000 strong turnout of voters in Phase II defied Narendra Modi government’s terror tactics to stop the Khalistan Referendum voting by stopping visas, cancelling identity and travel cards and threats of singling out family members of Khalistan supporters in Punjab.”
An estimated 140,000 Canadian Sikhs had taken part in the first phase of the referendum voting at the same gurdwara in September this year but several thousands were unable to vote at the time of the conclusion of the voting and the second phase for Oct 29 was announced to accommodate those who were unable to vote. At the conclusion of the voting, two resolutions were passed by the gathering: with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in Parliament that Indian agents are behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Indian High Commissioner to Canada Mr Sanjay Verma should be arrested and prosecuted for conspiring and directing Nijjar’s assassination; to ensure that Verma is prosecuted for the assassination of a Canadian citizen, the Sikhs For Justice will invoke “Citizen’s Arrest” clause of the Canadian law for which SFJ has allocated a budget of $100,000; and holding Delhi responsible for Genocide of Sikhs and attack on Sikhism, SFJ released a new map extending the boundaries of Sikh homeland to include India’s Capital Delhi as part of Khalistan.
The SFJ announced referendum in Abbotsford, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal during 2024 but a date will be announced later.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said: “While 29th October Voting Centre in Surrey BC was dedicated to Shaheed Nijjar who sacrificed his life struggling for liberation of Punjab through Khalistan Referendum, the upcoming voting Centers will be dedicated to Shaheed Ravinder Singh Pannu, Shaheed Bhupinder Singh Kooner, and Shaheed Balbir Singh Khaira, all Canadian Sikhs, to honor their sacrifice during armed phase of Khalistan movement.” 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar was fatally shot outside the same Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a significant Sikh population, where the second phase of Khalistan Referendum took place on Sunday.