Pro-Khalistan slogans raised in presence of Trudeau on Khalsa Day event in Toronto

Loud chants of pro-Khalistan slogans were heard being raised in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as opposition leader Pierre Poilievre at the Khalsa Day Celebrations in Toronto.

In a video released by Canada-based CPAC TV, the chants were heard getting louder till Trudeau took the stage and commenced his speech. 

Slogans of "Khalistan Zindabad" were heard at the event in which, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Toronto mayor Olivia Chow were also present, ANI reported.

A similar instance also occurred when the leader of the opposition of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, walked up to the stage to begin his address.

Thousands had reached Toronto on April 28 for one of the biggest yearly gatherings in the city.

According to the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwaras Council (OSGC), Vaisakhi, also called Khalsa Day, commemorates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699 as well as the Sikh New Year, the ANI report added.

The group has been organising an annual parade down Lake Shore Boulevard for many years; the council claims that it is the third-largest parade in the nation and that it regularly draws thousands of spectators, according to CBC News.

The Canadian PM assured the community that the Canadian government is always there to protect their rights and freedoms at all costs.

"One of Canada's greatest strengths is its diversity. We are strong not in spite of our differences, but because of our differences; but even as we look at these differences, we have to remember, and get reminded on days such as this, and every day, that Sikh values are Canadian values..." Trudeau said during the Khalsa Day Celebrations.

"To the nearly, 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage across this country, we will always be there to protect your rights and your freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination," he asserted.

The Canadian PM also highlighted that the country is enhancing security and infrastructure programmes by "adding more security at community centres and places of worship, including gurdwaras."

"Your right to practice your religion freely, and without intimidation is exactly that. A fundamental right guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that we will always stand up and defend you for," Trudeau assured the Sikh community in his Khalsa Day address.

The latest development comes at a time when diplomatic ties between India and Canada are going through a tough phase.

The two nations have been at loggerheads over the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a separatist leader involved with the Khalistan movement.

Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020, was shot as he came out of a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

Prime Minister Trudeau accused the government of India of having a hand in the killing, which was rejected by India and led to the deterioration of diplomatic ties between Canada and India.

Canada has downsized its Indian staff from its diplomatic missions in the country, citing a decrease in available Canadian personnel to effectively manage operations. 

Last year, India expelled 41 Canadian diplomats to ensure diplomatic parity, prompting Canada to close its Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru consulates for in-person operations.