Heavy police presence ahead of planned protest at Vancouver's Indian consulate
CTV
A heavy police presence can be seen in downtown Vancouver Monday ahead of a planned protest over the killing of a Sikh leader and allegations that the Indian government played a role in the slaying.
A heavy police presence can be seen in downtown Vancouver Monday ahead of a planned protest over the killing of a Sikh leader and allegations that the Indian government played a role in the slaying.
The Vancouver Police Department has closed the road around the Indian Consulate where a rally is scheduled for 11 a.m. Barriers have been set up blocking the entrance to the building on Howe Street.
Hardeep Singh NIkkar was gunned down outside of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, where he was president, in June. No arrests have been made and authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that intelligence services were investigating "credible allegations" about "a potential link" between India's government and the killing. The statement triggered a vehement denial by Indian officials and tensions have flared in response, with each country expelling a diplomat and India suspending visas for Canadians.
Protests are planned by members of the Sikh community in cities across Canada. The World Sikh Organization issued a warning in advance, urging vigilance and warning the possibility of "incitement and interference."
"At this time, the focus must remain on finding the killers of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and exposing the full extent of Indian interference in Canada. We believe that there will be ongoing attempts by India to shift this focus however we must do all in our power to ensure that these attempts are unsuccessful," said Tejinder Singh Sidhu, the organization's president, in a statement Friday.
"If members of the community feel unsafe or see attempts to incite violence, we encourage them to immediately contact law enforcement."
