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An activist based in Surrey, B.C., who was a friend and associate of the assassinated pro-Khalistan advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar, says he has been warned by police that he could be in serious danger.
The Khalistan movement refers to a Sikh separatist movement that seeks to create an independent Sikh state in parts of northern India.
Narinder Singh Randhawa said he was called by Surrey police on Saturday while he was in the Vaisakhi Parade in Vancouver.
He said police issued a “duty to warn,” which means there is a risk of significant harm to him.
Randhawa said he isn’t scared by the warning and he plans to continue protesting against the Indian government.
“I’m feeling good,” he told CBC News.
Randhawa said he is being targeted by the Indian government for leading protests against the Modi government for its involvement in the 2023 assassination of Nijjar.
India has denied involvement in the killing.
Four Indian nationals — Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh and Amandeep Singh — have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Nijjar’s killing.
Months after Nijjar’s death in 2023, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being linked to Nijjar’s killing, leading to strained relations between India and Canada.
Police didn’t say where the information about the risk to Randhawa came from, such as if it came from the RCMP or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or the Canada Border Services Agency, according to Randhawa.
“They said, ‘We don’t have that information,'” he said.
Surrey police told CBC News they would not confirm if they had issued a duty to warn because of the sensitive nature of the investigation.
Randhawa works at the same Surrey gurdwara outside which Nijjar was shot and killed.
“My life will not be stopped,” he said. “I will continue to campaign stronger and louder.”
‘A serious problem’
Inderjeet Singh Gosal with Sikhs for Justice said Randhawa’s situation is not an isolated incident.
“It reflects a much wider and deeply concerning pattern within the community,” Gosal said. “They’re not just targeting leaders, they’re targeting activists.”
Gosal said he has also received a duty to warn and been offered witness protection.
He said Nijjar was assassinated just days after he received a duty to warn.
“This is a serious problem, not just for Khalistan Sikhs, but for activists in general who want to speak openly and want to advocate for an independent Punjab, Khalistan.”
He said the community is concerned to see the role governments are playing and whether they are downplaying India’s transnational repression.
Gosal said Randhawa has been an active participant in organizing B.C.’s pro-Khalistan movement.
“We need more pressure from our government,” Gosal said. “We need to hold those individuals accountable, and we need to get justice delivered for the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”
