Khalistani Threat in Canada: Sanjay Verma Reveals Sword Attack Incident

Sanjay Verma, the Indian high commissioner who was recently recalled from Canada, shared a chilling encounter that took place in Alberta, where he and his wife were confronted by Khalistani assailants wielding a sword.

In an interview with ANI, Verma described how these attackers nearly harmed him, stressing that they were not just carrying a kirpan, a religious symbol, but an actual sword capable of inflicting serious injuries. “Yes, a couple of times they came very close to bodily harm us...They were carrying a sword, it was not a kirpan...When I was in Alberta a sword came around 2-2.5 inches close to my body,"he recalled.

Accompanied by his wife, Verma explained that they were attending a dinner organized for the Indian community in Alberta, which included cultural programs and aimed to strengthen business ties among Canadian entrepreneurs.

"Outside, around 150 people were there who were doing bad things in the name of Khalistan. And they surrounded the entrance from which I had to go. When I entered, there were RCMP and local police. Alberta is our good friend. Local police were present there. But maybe they didn't think that they would do such a bad thing. My wife was accompanying me. When I was passing, there was a sword. They may not know the difference between a sword and a kirpan. But we Indians who have seen Sikhism, who are so patriotic, where we have seen them, by the grace of Wahe Guru, we know the difference between a sword and a kirpan. So this was a sword, which came about 2 to 2.5 inches away from my body," Sanjay Verma noted.

Verma shared that local police took swift action, pushing back the assailants and launching an investigation afterward. However, he did not receive updates on the outcome. “The local police got into action immediately and pushed them back. They also held an interrogation. I was not informed about the final results. We also informed the Global Affairs of Canada about the incident. They also believed that this is not right. And we also tried to explain to them that there is a difference between a sword and a kirpan. There is a difference between a spear and a kirpan. And this is not a religious belonging that they carry,” he remarked.

According to Verma, Canada recognized the potential threat to Indian diplomats, which led to increased protection from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). He stressed the need to improve relations between India and Canada amidst these troubling events.

Verma also pointed out that Khalistani extremists are endangering peaceful Indo-Canadians and vandalizing their places of worship.

He was recalled from Canada after being identified as a person of interest in the investigation into the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. However, he firmly denied any involvement in the case.

The relationship between India and Canada has worsened since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in Parliament last year that India was involved in Nijjar’s killing. India has strongly denied these claims, calling them “absurd” and accusing Canada of allowing extremist elements to operate freely within its borders.

Nijjar, who was labeled a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June of last year.

In response to the tensions, India expelled six Canadian diplomats after summoning Canada’s Charge d'Affaires, Stewart Wheeler, to express that the “baseless targeting” of Indian diplomats was completely unacceptable.