More than 42,000 Canadian Sikhs participated in Khalistan Referendum in Malton, Ontario after the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent pro-Khalistan leader in Canada.
The second phase of the Canada Khalistan Referendum was held outside the local temple though the Modi government claimed the killing will dampen the spirits of pro-Khalistani Sikhs. The turnout in Malton showed that Sikhs remain undeterred by the high-profile assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the hands of Indian agencies, according to the Sikhs for Justice.
On July 16, Khalistan Referendum Centre at Gurdwara Malton was dedicated to Shaheed Mohinder Singh Khalsa, a Canadian who left the country to fight for Khalistan in 1990s. Sikhs who attended the event were carrying banners and flags with slogans of Khalistan, demand for freedom from India and tributes to those Sikhs who have been assassinated by India directly or indirectly for supporting the cause of Khalistan.
Men, women and youth who took part in the event chanted slogans vowing to avenge the killing of Shaheed Nijjar and other assassinated Khalistanis. The voting was arranged by Sikhs For Justice under the supervision of the independent Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC). Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ’s General Counsel said about the turnout: “Assassination of Shaheed Nijjar by India worked as a catalyst to the ongoing Khalistan campaign. Thousands turned up in the Toronto Referendum challenging the Modi Government’s attempts to stop the movement.”