Amritpal Singh protests in Canada: India worried over security at its missions
The burning of an Indian flag in front of the consulate in Toronto and protesters getting dangerously close to the High Commission in Ottawa were among the factors behind the Ministry of External Affairs summoning Canada’s High Commissioner to New Delhi to formally convey its concern.
The protests have been going on through the week and many others are expected in the days ahead as anti-India groups, including Khalistani elements seek to leverage developments related to Amritpal Singh, leader of Waris Punjab De, to further their own agenda.
The protest in front of the consulate in Toronto on Saturday witnessed the tricolour being set ablaze amid shouts of Khalistan Zindabad and in the presence of local law enforcement. Two days earlier, on Thursday, protesters were bussed in from Montreal and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to the High Commission in Ottawa. However, what raised security concerns for officials was their proximity to its premises.
During previous protests, they were held across the road, but on this occasion, they came close to the boundary wall. An Indian official described that incident as “an infringement of diplomatic space”. About 400 protesters gathered in front of the High Commission, the largest number ever witnessed in a demonstration there.
About 500 also protested in front of the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Sunday. This barrage of protests has led to “security concerns” for India’s mission in Canada. India had already alerted Ottawa to the requirement for heightened security measures given tensions related to the manhunt in Punjab for Amritpal Singh and the potential for escalation if he were to be located.
The flag-burning was criticised by the National Alliance of Indo-Canadians, as it tweeted, “Is publicly burning flag of a country, in this case India, consistent with Canadian values? This must not be allowed in a civilised democracy, like ours.”
On March 19, India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma had to cancel an appearance at a reception organised by the Friends of India & Canada Foundation in Surrey, British Columbia as nearly 200 protesters, some wielding swords, gathered in front of the venue, the Taj Park Convention Centre and blocked the entrance.
An official said that disinformation is feeding into the phenomenon, as some prominent Canadians have made it appear as it all of Punjab was under siege, under an Internet blackout and taken over by security forces.