On March 3, 2023, the 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh center paid his respect at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. PHOTO AFP MUMBAI - India summoned Canada's High Commissioner on Sunday to express strong concern over Sikh protesters in Canada and how they were allowed to breach the security of India's diplomatic mission and consulates.
According to Canadian media reports, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Saturday over demands for an independent Sikh state, a simmering issue that has been a topic of discussion for a long time.
Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India.
The Ministry of External Affairs of India said in a statement that the Canadian government will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our diplomats and security of our diplomatic premises.
The statement comes after Indian police launched a hunt for Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh on March 21, who revived talk of an independent Sikh homeland and sparked fears of a return to violence that killed thousands of people in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Singh and his supporters have been accused of attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement and creating disharmony and had been on the run since last week when officers tried to block his motorcade and arrest him.
The Indian police launched an investigation last week into a protest at its High Commission in London where protesters with Khalistan banners took a Indian flag down from a first-floor balcony of the High Commission to denounce police action in India's Punjab state. India summoned the top British diplomat in New Delhi last Sunday for an explanation.
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Khalistan is a name of an independent Sikh homeland that some members of the community aspire to, both in India and in countries where Sikhs have settled.