In Jagmeet Singh and NDP's defeat, a setback to Khalistani agenda in Canada
Jagmeet Singh
's loss in the Canadian federal elections is being seen as a major setack to
Khalistani separatists
in Canada.
In his most recent display of pro-Khalistan stance, Jagmeet, who lost the election from Burnaby Central, had in Oct 2024 called for Canadian sanctions against India in the aftermath of the June 2023 killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Non-Khalistani Canadians of Indian origin collectively believe that Jagmeet's association with, and support for, Khalistani sympathisers had affected his image among peace-loving Canadians. It is often said Jagmeet's support among Khalistanis had, in fact, pushed former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to woo Khalistanis more. In the process, he jeopardised ties between the two countries.
A resident of Vancouver, Jaspal Singh, said Jagmeet even lost his Burnaby Central seat, forcing him to resign as party leader. He said Jagmeet had been a vocal supporter of Khalistani causes most of the time.
Jagmeet's public support to the
Khalistani agenda
first came to the fore in 2011, when he had dismissed British Columbia former premier and federal minister Ujjal Dosanjh's stance that Sikh extremism was on the rise in Canada and was being abetted by political correctness in the name of diversity. At the time, he had said Dosanjh's stance was one of the reasons for him to enter politics.
Later in 2013, Jagmeet was denied a visa to India for raising the issue of the anti-Sikh riots. His visa request was also rejected in 2018.
Singh ran in the 2011 Ontario provincial election as the
NDP
candidate in the overlapping provincial riding, defeating Liberal incumbent Kuldip Kular by 2,277 votes. He had also become the first New Democrat elected to represent the Peel Region, as well as the first turban-wearing MPP (member of provincial parliament) in Ontario.
Strangely, Khalistani think tanks in Canada—typically outspoken on matters related to political leadership aligned with the Khalistan movement—have remained silent on the near-total electoral washout of the NDP. When this story was filed, the NDP had won 5 seats and was leading in 2 more.
A Sikh resident of Vancouver, Harpreet Singh, said the Liberal Party, which is leading in the federal election, is not openly supportive of the Khalistani movement. "We hope to see improved relations with India under the new govt and a strong message be sent to separatists who have brought disrepute to an entire community," Harpreet added.
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