In Canada, a house belonging to Inderjit Singh Gosal, a vocal advocate for the Khalistan movement—which seeks an independent Sikh homeland from India—was struck by gunfire. This marked the second attack on a Sikh activist's residence in the month, escalating fears of a targeted campaign against Sikh separatists.
The bullet hole was discovered by a construction crew in the window of Gosal's unfinished Brampton, Ontario home. Peel Regional Police confirmed the damage and are investigating the incident, though they have not definitively linked it to Gosal's activism.
Gosal is known for his close work with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is the chief legal counsel for Sikhs for Justice and himself a recent target of a failed assassination attempt in the United States.
“I have been heading Khalistan Freedom Rallies in front of the Indian consulate and I have been targeted for the same very reason that Nijjar was assassinated by Indian agents, i.e. our campaigning for the Khalistan Referendum,” Gosal said, in a statement released by SFJ.
This shooting took place shortly after Gosal announced plans for a pro-Khalistan rally outside the Indian consulate in Toronto, scheduled for February 17. The attack follows the assassination of Canadian activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which Canada has attributed to the Indian government—a claim India denies.
Despite these threats and acts of violence, Sikh activists like Gosal remain undeterred in their efforts to hold rallies and referendums advocating for Khalistan.
In a separate but related incident earlier in the month, the Surrey home of Simranjeet Singh, an associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, also came under gunfire. Fortunately, despite multiple family members being present, no injuries were reported. Two teenagers were later arrested in connection with this shooting.
India-Canada relations hit a low point after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a statement in the House of Commons on September 18, asserting "credible allegations" of a possible connection between Indian agents and the killing of Nijjar. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is currently investigating this case.
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