Trudeau govt wakes up to death threat to PM Modi, provides security to top Indian diplomats

The Justin Trudeau government in Canada has finally woken up to death threats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian consul general at Vancouver made by pro-Khalistan separatists on January 26 and provided armed guard security to top Indian diplomats in Ottawa and Vancouver on Saturday.

The Trudeau government last Friday instructed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to provide protection to the Indian embassies in Ottawa and Vancouver after external affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Canadian counterpart Marc Garneau on February 5. The action was taken after at least four note verbale were issued to Canadian authorities at Vancouver and Ottawa after death threat to the Indian consul general on December 26, 2020. Two police complaints were also filed by the Vancouver consul general office.

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In a diplomatic note to Canadian foreign ministry, the Indian high commission on February 2 informed that one Inderjit Singh Bains made death threats against Prime Minister Modi on January 26 outside the Vancouver consul general office and posted on the Facebook account of fellow separatist Narinder Singh Khalsa. The English translation of the rabble-rousing speech was sent to the Vancouver police department in a complaint filed by the consul general.

Although Hindustan Times has reviewed the contents of the speech, it is not reproducing it as it is communal and incendiary. The political activist makes it clear that they will take care of Modi as they have taken care of other political leaders and Indian Army generals in the past.

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The letter from Indian high commission to Canadian foreign ministry makes it amply clear that death threats to the Indian Prime Minister constitutes an act of terrorism and requested that the matter should be thoroughly investigated and the action should be taken against the individuals to mitigate any security risk posed.

Since December 2020, pro-Khalistan elements in Canada have taken over the protests against farm laws and are using communal speeches to divide the Indian diaspora by extolling the virtues of so-called Khalistan leaders. A reaction to this was a large Tiranga car rally organised in support of farm laws on Saturday afternoon in Vancouver.

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According to a diplomatic note written to the Canadian authorities on December 28, Inderjeet Bains is associated with Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar in Surrey, Vancouver. He is a known offender who has earlier issued death threats against Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh (2017) and then British Columbia MP Ujjal Dosanjh (2010). The Khalistani supporter has threatened Indian diplomatic personnel time and again but the Vancouver Police Department has never initiated any legal proceeding or enforced the law even after a formal police complaint was filed by the Vancouver Consul General about him for his inflammatory speeches on December 25, 26, 2020, and January 26, 2021.