'The height of hypocrisy': Protesters slam Indian consulate's event at Vancouver gurdwara

A small but vocal group of protesters gathered across the street from the Khalsa Diwan Society gurdwara in South Vancouver Saturday to protest the presence of Indian consulate officials at the temple.

The occasion was the first of two "consular camps" scheduled by the Indian consulate at the gurdwara. The events are intended to provide seniors of Indian descent with an opportunity to meet with officials and complete administrative tasks without having to go to the downtown consulate.

But against the backdrop of allegations from Canadian officials that the Indian government has been waging a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada, protesters say theY believe Indian officials should not be allowed into Sikh temples.

Ajaypal Singh, one of the roughly two dozen protesters, spoke to CTV News. 

"We want the embassies to be shut down and we want the Indian consulate not to engage in Sikh gurdwaras," Singh said.

He referenced the Canadian government's allegation that Indian diplomats gathered information about Indian nationals and Canadian citizens in Canada, then passed that information to the Indian government in New Delhi, which allegedly works with a criminal network with links to homicides, assassination plots, coercion and other violent crimes in Canada.

Those allegations prompted Canada to expel six Indian diplomats last month, including high commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma.

"Mr. Sanjay Verma, who was expelled, he is saying in India that 'we have life threats from Sikhs,'" said Singh. "On the other hand, they are coming to our gurdwaras to conduct their embassy business. I mean, this is the height of hypocrisy."

Tensions between Canada and India have been heightening for more than a year, since the June 2023 shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen and a prominent activist for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, which would be located in what is currently India's Punjab state. The Canadian government alleges that the government of India was involved in Nijjar's death.

India has denied all of the allegations against it.

Ahead of Saturday's event, the B.C. Supreme Court granted an order requested by the Khalsa Diwan Society creating a 50-metre "buffer zone" around the gurdwara out of concern for "intense protests."

"The society expects that the consular camps … will draw intense protests from individuals who believe that all Indian consular offices should be shut down in Canada, and that consular officials should not be allowed to enter the Ross Street Gurdwara in furtherance of official business on behalf of the Government of India," the court documents say.

The court order prohibits protesting, blocking the sidewalks or intimidating anyone trying to enter the property within 50 metres of the roads surrounding the temple from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A second consular camp is scheduled for Nov. 16.

With files from The Canadian Press