Over 200,000 Canadian Sikhs take part in Khalistan Referendum voting

VANCOUVER, CANADA: Over 200,000 Canadian Sikhs voted in Khalistan Referendum in Surrey British Columbia here in two phases dedicated to Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was assassinated by Indian agents on 18th June outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Surrey of which he was the president.

After the October 29th voting, the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun addressed the gathering virtually from Washington DC and 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 said, “This is a war between Punjab and India in which the occupying force is using violence while Sikhs are using the votes. SFJ is not taking down India with the bullets at this time, instead, we are using ballots, the most potent weapon of this century to kill the Indian system which is responsible for the Genocide of tens of thousands of Sikhs.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun added, “Over 60,000 strong turn-out 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 Khalistan 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 29th October was announced to accommodate those who were unable to vote.

After the October 29th 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 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 to organise of Khalistan Referendum Voting in Abbotsford, Edmonton, Calgary, and Montreal during 2024 but a date will be announced later.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said, “While the 29th October Voting Centre in Surrey BC was dedicated to Shaheed Nijjar who sacrificed his life struggling for the 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 honour 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 the Khalistan Referendum took place on Sunday. Najjar was an advocate for a Sikh homeland in Punjab and minutes before his killing he delivered his last speech in support of Khalistan Referendum.

Najjar was the Chief Coordinator of Khalistan Referendum campaign in Canada and a close associate of US-based Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is Counsel General of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), the advocacy group running Khalistan Referendum globally. Najjar, Pannun, UK-based Paramjeet Singh Pamma and others were designated terrorists by the Indian government in 2020. Najjar was also President of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in British Columbia – Canada’s biggest Gurdawara.

The Khalistan Referendum voting campaign is being organised under the supervision of the independent Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC) which will announce the results when all phases are completed.

The voting started on October 31, 2021, from London UK and has so far been held in several cities across the UK, Geneva Switzerland, Rome and Milan (Italy), Australian cities of Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney; and Canadian cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Malton (Ontario), and Vancouver (British Columbia).