RCMP warns Sikh activists of threats ahead of October Edmonton referendum
Police told two Khalistan referendum organizers their lives face credible, serious threats, but the lead coordinator says the vote planned for Edmonton this fall will proceed as scheduled.
Why it matters
The planned October referendum event in Edmonton comes amid ongoing security concerns tied to a diplomatic rift between Canada and India.
RCMP have issued "duty to warn" letters to Inderjeet Singh Gosal of Caledon, Ont., and Manjinder Singh of Abbotsford, B.C., informing them of credible, serious and imminent threats against their lives. The letters, obtained by The Canadian Press, say police could not provide further details but noted family and friends are not directly targeted, though they could be hurt in an attempt on the men's lives.
Gosal coordinates non-binding referendums held in Sikh communities worldwide asking whether they support creating an independent Sikh state, Khalistan, within India. He said the next referendum is planned for Edmonton in October and the threats will not change those plans, adding he has turned down repeated police offers of witness protection.
The previous lead organizer, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot to death in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023, a killing linked to India-based organized crime groups. In July, U.S. authorities announced arrests of 24 suspects worldwide connected to offences by those networks, including Nijjar's killing, and imprisoned gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has been charged with ordering it. India has repeatedly denied Sikh activists' accusations that its government was behind Nijjar's death.
The advocacy group Sikhs for Justice said a third organizer in B.C. received a verbal police warning; the RCMP did not confirm any of the warnings. The letters asked recipients to acknowledge understanding the situation and suggested taking precautions if declining police assistance.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.