Latest news with #MoninderSingh
South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Canada's Sikhs, outraged by Modi G7 invitation, plan to protest
Members of Canada's Sikh community who were warned by police that the`ir lives were at risk and allege the Indian government is responsible for the threat are incensed by Ottawa's invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta. Advertisement Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Modi, although India is not a member of the group of seven economies, to attend the summit that starts on Sunday as a guest. It will be Modi's first visit to Canada in a decade and a diplomatic test for Carney, a political neophyte. Canada's relationship with India has been tense since former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2023 accused India's government of involvement in the June 18, 2023, murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. Modi's government has denied involvement in Nijjar's killing and has accused Canada of providing a safe haven for Sikh separatists. ''Outrage' is the kind of term that I've heard from people,' Sikh activist Moninder Singh, a friend of Nijjar, said of the invitation. He and other Sikh leaders plan to hold a protest in Ottawa on Saturday. Carney, locked in a trade war with the United States, is trying to shore up alliances elsewhere and diversify Canada's exports. Carney told reporters he invited India due to its importance in global supply chains. Mourners carry the casket of Sikh community leader and temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia, June 25, 2023. Photo: AP India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a Thursday press briefing that a meeting between Modi and Carney 'will offer an important opportunity for them to exchange views on bilateral and global issues and explore pathways to set or reset the relationship.' Sikhs face threats
2 days ago
- Politics
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs face active assassination threats, organization warns
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs live under active threats on their lives, an advocacy organization is warning. Those threats originate from India, said Balpreet Singh, a lawyer and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization. The group argues it's unconscionable for the federal government to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week's G7 meeting (new window) . Singh called for a series of actions to be taken against India at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday alongside Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada). The father of two said he'd been warned by law enforcement about threats on his life about a half-dozen times in the last few years. Moninder Singh described leaving his home for months at a time, making arrangements with child protection services as well as the RCMP. You move around, constantly looking over your shoulder. You want to make sure that you're not in overly public environments, where other people could be harmed, said Moninder Singh. You can't go to your kid's school, you can't go to their practices, you can't go to family events. You avoid weddings, you avoid any type of family gatherings. WATCH | Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Sikh organization The World Sikh Organization of Canada is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to revoke Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's G7 invite unless three conditions are met. Balpreet Singh, the group's legal counsel, calls the invitation a 'betrayal of Canada's core values.' The two men said the Canadian government should not only rescind Modi's invitation, but also launch a public inquiry specifically targeting Indian foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada, as well as cancel intelligence-sharing agreements between the two countries. Earlier on Thursday, Global News cited confidential sources (new window) in reporting that former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was targeted by a suspected Indian government agent in 2023, resulting in the leader getting police protection. The report says police no longer believe Singh is in imminent danger. CBC News has not independently confirmed that story. At the news conference, Moninder Singh said ending intelligence-sharing with India could make it harder for the country to surveil the NDP leader and Sikh activists. Balpreet Singh said he's heard the former NDP leader no longer has police protection, something he thinks is a mistake. CBC News sent questions to the federal Public Safety Department as well as the RCMP for details on Sikhs who have been targeted, including Jagmeet Singh. The government department deferred to the Mounties, which have yet to provide a statement. The idea to me that the leader of a Canadian political party could be targeted is such a clear indication of foreign interference, said the NDP's foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson. To find out that Mr. Singh no longer has any sort of protection, when the threat is very real against him, it's appalling. All Canadians have the right to feel safe, said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, the interim Opposition leader. Scheer said specific threats against a prominent Canadian who's held public office is something that our security officials should take very seriously. WATCH | Liberal calls Modi invite 'a bad idea': Liberal MP says Modi coming to Canada is 'a bad idea' 2 days agoDuration1:58Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, B.C. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal said he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney Wednesday morning to express concerns he says his constituents have with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta. The WSO's Balpreet Singh said other Canadian Sikh politicians are afraid to criticize India out of fear for their and their loved ones' safety. He declined to say which politicians have told him this. Imagine what that means to our democracy, said McPherson. Carney has said it makes sense to have the leader of the world's most populous country around the table when there are big challenges to discuss. Modi has been present at several recent G7 leaders' summits. At last year's event in Italy, he had a brief one-on-one with former prime minister Justin Trudeau. A dozen members of Carney's own caucus met him on Wednesday to raise their concerns about the decision (new window) , though many Liberals have also defended the invite. Liberal MP Charles Sousa said Canadians are concerned about their position on the world stage. India makes sense to be part of a global discussion, he said. Canada-India relations have been on shaky ground since Trudeau and the RCMP alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (new window) , the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023. Raffy Boudjikanian (new window) · CBC News
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs face active assassination threats, organization warns
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs live under active threats on their lives, an advocacy organization is warning. "Those threats originate from India," said Balpreet Singh, a lawyer and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization. The group argues it's unconscionable for the federal government to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week's G7 meeting. Singh called for a series of actions to be taken against India at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday alongside Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada). The father of two said he'd been warned by law enforcement about threats on his life about a half-dozen times in the last few years. Moninder Singh described leaving his home for months at a time, making arrangements with child protection services as well as the RCMP. "You move around, constantly looking over your shoulder. You want to make sure that you're not in overly public environments, where other people could be harmed," said Moninder Singh. "You can't go to your kid's school, you can't go to their practices, you can't go to family events. You avoid weddings, you avoid any type of family gatherings." WATCH | Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': The two men said the Canadian government should not only rescind Modi's invitation, but also launch a public inquiry specifically targeting Indian foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada, as well as cancel intelligence-sharing agreements between the two countries. Earlier on Thursday, Global News cited confidential sources in reporting that former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was targeted by a suspected Indian government agent in 2023, resulting in the leader getting police protection. The report says police no longer believe Singh is in imminent danger. CBC News has not independently confirmed that story. At the news conference, Moninder Singh said ending intelligence-sharing with India could make it harder for the country to surveil the NDP leader and Sikh activists. Balpreet Singh said he's heard the former NDP leader no longer has police protection, something he thinks is a mistake. CBC News sent questions to the federal Public Safety Department as well as the RCMP for details on Sikhs who have been targeted, including Jagmeet Singh. The government department deferred to the Mounties, which have yet to provide a statement. "The idea to me that the leader of a Canadian political party could be targeted is such a clear indication of foreign interference," said the NDP's foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson. "To find out that Mr. Singh no longer has any sort of protection, when the threat is very real against him, it's appalling." "All Canadians have the right to feel safe," said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, the interim Opposition leader. Scheer said specific threats against a prominent Canadian who's held public office is "something that our security officials should take very seriously." WATCH | Liberal calls Modi invite 'a bad idea': The WSO's Balpreet Singh said other Canadian Sikh politicians are afraid to criticize India out of fear for their and their loved ones' safety. He declined to say which politicians have told him this. "Imagine what that means to our democracy," said McPherson. Carney has said it makes sense to have the leader of the world's most populous country around the table when there are "big challenges" to discuss. Modi has been present at several recent G7 leaders' summits. At last year's event in Italy, he had a brief one-on-one with former prime minister Justin Trudeau. A dozen members of Carney's own caucus met him on Wednesday to raise their concerns about the decision, though many Liberals have also defended the invite. Liberal MP Charles Sousa said Canadians are concerned about their position on the world stage. "India makes sense to be part of a global discussion," he said. Canada-India relations have been on shaky ground since Trudeau and the RCMP alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023.
CBC
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs face active assassination threats, organization warns
Social Sharing More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs live under active threats on their lives, an advocacy organization is warning. "Those threats originate from India," said Balpreet Singh, a lawyer and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization. The group argues it's unconscionable for the federal government to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week's G7 meeting. Singh called for a series of actions to be taken against India at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday alongside Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada). The father of two said he'd been warned by law enforcement about threats on his life about a half-dozen times in the last few years. Moninder Singh described leaving his home for months at a time, making arrangements with child protection services as well as the RCMP. "You move around, constantly looking over your shoulder. You want to make sure that you're not in overly public environments, where other people could be harmed," said Moninder Singh. "You can't go to your kid's school, you can't go to their practices, you can't go to family events. You avoid weddings, you avoid any type of family gatherings." WATCH | Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Sikh organization 5 hours ago Duration 1:32 The World Sikh Organization of Canada is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to revoke Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's G7 invite unless three conditions are met. Balpreet Singh, the group's legal counsel, calls the invitation a 'betrayal of Canada's core values.' The two men said the Canadian government should not only rescind Modi's invitation, but also launch a public inquiry specifically targeting Indian foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada, as well as cancel intelligence-sharing agreements between the two countries. Earlier on Thursday, Global News cited confidential sources in reporting that former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was targeted by a suspected Indian government agent in 2023, resulting in the leader getting police protection. The report says police no longer believe Singh is in imminent danger. CBC News has not independently confirmed that story. At the news conference, Moninder Singh said ending intelligence-sharing with India could make it harder for the country to surveil the NDP leader and Sikh activists. Balpreet Singh said he's heard the former NDP leader no longer has police protection, something he thinks is a mistake. CBC News sent questions to the federal Public Safety Department as well as the RCMP for details on Sikhs who have been targeted, including Jagmeet Singh. The government department deferred to the Mounties, which have yet to provide a statement. "The idea to me that the leader of a Canadian political party could be targeted is such a clear indication of foreign interference," said the NDP's foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson. "To find out that Mr. Singh no longer has any sort of protection, when the threat is very real against him, it's appalling." "All Canadians have the right to feel safe," said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, the interim Opposition leader. Scheer said specific threats against a prominent Canadian who's held public office is "something that our security officials should take very seriously." WATCH | Liberal calls Modi invite 'a bad idea': Liberal MP says Modi coming to Canada is 'a bad idea' 1 day ago Duration 1:58 Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, B.C. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal said he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney Wednesday morning to express concerns he says his constituents have with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta. The WSO's Balpreet Singh said other Canadian Sikh politicians are afraid to criticize India out of fear for their and their loved ones' safety. He declined to say which politicians have told him this. "Imagine what that means to our democracy," said McPherson. Carney has said it makes sense to have the leader of the world's most populous country around the table when there are "big challenges" to discuss. Modi has been present at several recent G7 leaders' summits. At last year's event in Italy, he had a brief one-on-one with former prime minister Justin Trudeau. A dozen members of Carney's own caucus met him on Wednesday to raise their concerns about the decision, though many Liberals have also defended the invite. Liberal MP Charles Sousa said Canadians are concerned about their position on the world stage. "India makes sense to be part of a global discussion," he said. , the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023.
CBC
20-04-2025
- General
- CBC
Hundreds of thousands pack Surrey streets for Vaisakhi parade
Social Sharing Surrey's streets came alive with vibrant colours, music and community spirit on Saturday for the city's annual Vaisakhi Khalsa Day — an event organizers say is the largest celebration of its kind in the world. Vaisakhi is the annual Sikh festival that celebrates the new harvest. It also marks the creation of the order of the Khalsa in 1699 — a defining moment in Sikh history that gave the faith its final form. "The Khalsa's virtues are that it stands up for humanity, human rights," said Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the B.C. Gurdwaras Council and the Surrey Vaisakhi parade. "It actually is inclusive of all people from all different backgrounds, genders, faiths … making an inclusive environment for everyone." This year marked the 27th edition of the parade in Surrey. Singh, who has been a part of each one of them, said the celebration has only continued to grow in scale, with an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 people attending the parade on Saturday. "It's been really interesting to experience starting with about 50,000 to 60,000 people and now [this]," he said. The parade began and ended at the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, weaving its way through the city's streets accompanied by floats, live music and dozens of volunteer-run food stalls. The route was lined with tents handing out everything from pakoras and sugarcane juice to full meals — part of the Sikh tradition of langar, or free communal food. Tony Singh, owner of the Fruiticana grocery chain and a regular parade volunteer, said he served more than 100,000 people last year alongside five other vendors. "It's a great feeling. It makes my hair stand up to see people out there … volunteering [their time] and nobody gets paid," he said. "Everybody puts their energy into it." The large turnout Saturday also meant months of planning for the Surrey Police Service. Chief Norm Lipinski said the scale of the event has required additional resources every year. "We've been planning for this for the last eight months," Lipinski said. "We have more than enough police officers here, including from other jurisdictions, because we still have to manage the rest of the city." He said the mood at the event was "very family friendly" and that safety preparations included crowd control, medical assistance and help locating lost children. A political and cultural gathering Politicians from all levels of government were present, including Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, B.C. Premier David Eby and federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. Singh said he was honoured by the number of people who approached him to share their thoughts. "I'm always touched by how much love people show, it was overwhelming," he said. "It definitely gives you energy." Parade organizer Moninder Singh said Vaisakhi has long served as a gathering point not just for Sikhs, but for people across the Lower Mainland and beyond to engage with each other. This year, he said, the parade also carried a more sombre tone. He said the Sikh community in the Lower Mainland was particularly concerned about the issue of foreign interference from India, especially after Canadian officials said they found credible information suggesting the Indian government was involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Surrey Sikh leader who advocated for a Sikh homeland known as Khalistan. "This actual parade is dedicated to the memory of [Nijjar]," Singh said. "So while there's a festive celebration going on, there are some serious matters that people are here with as well." Last weekend, Vancouver held its own Vaisakhi parade, drawing an estimated 200,000 attendees, according to organizers.
