Indian Flag Desecrated, ‘Kill’ Chants Raised At Unofficial ‘Khalistan Referendum’ In Ottawa

Over 53,000 people took part in the event. (AFP/Representative Image)

Thousands of Canadian Sikhs queued for hours in Ottawa on Sunday for an unofficial “Khalistan Referendum” organised by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) — a group banned in India under the UAPA — where the Indian national flag was desecrated and violent anti-India slogans were raised.

Videos from the event showed supporters chanting “kill” slogans targeting Indian leaders and officials as police liaison officers looked on.

Supporters carrying yellow Khalistan flags lined up outside the McNabb Community Centre, where voting ran from 10 am to 3 pm. Visuals of the Indian flag being insulted circulated widely online, adding to the charged atmosphere around the event.

SFJ claimed that more than 53,000 Sikhs from Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec took part, forming queues stretching nearly two kilometres. The group said families, from newborns to elderly people using walkers, remained in line all day, and voting continued beyond the scheduled closing time to accommodate those still queued.

Footage captured by Alberta-based digital outlet Media Bezirgan showed massive crowds outside the centre, with police present but not intervening even as aggressive slogans were raised. SFJ’s general counsel, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, designated a terrorist by India, addressed participants via satellite message during the event.

SFJ also questioned why Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa the same day, calling the timing “suspicious” in light of what it describes as growing pro-Khalistan mobilisation in Canada.

The development comes even as New Delhi and Ottawa have recently taken steps to ease bilateral tensions and resume cooperation, including on security and counter-terror intelligence.