Toronto: A convoy of vehicles led by pro-Khalistan groups, displaying posters of separatist leaders and chanting divisive slogans, passed by the largest temple in Surrey, British Columbia on the same day Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended Navratri wishes to the Hindu community in Canada, Hindustan Times reported.

Satish Kumar, president of Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, described this event as "intimidating," particularly on a day of high devotee attendance, the report said.

The procession also featured Khalistani flags and promoted a 'Kill India' car rally on October 21, concluding at India’s Consulate in Vancouver, it added.

The rally would start from the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, which was headed by Khalistani figure Hardeep Nijjar, till he was murdered on June 18.

Another phase of the so-called Khalistan referendum is slated for October 29 in Surrey, with posters featuring terrorist figures like Nijjar and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the separatist leader who was killed in Operation Blue Star, ordered by the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, to eliminate terrorists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984.

This temple in Surrey has faced been on the radar of Khalistani separatists recently, including the pasting of posters targeting India’s senior diplomats.

In August, an unidentified person was arrested by the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Justin Trudeau's statement after the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7 also garnered special attention from Indo-Canadians.

As alarming visuals of triumphant events across Canada over Hamas’s onslaught on Israel, including in the Greater Toronto Area towns of Mississauga went viral, emerged, Trudeau tweeted, “The glorification of violence is never acceptable in Canada – by any group or in any situation. I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place, and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’ attacks on Israel. Let’s stand united against acts of terror.”

However, he has not yet condemned the portrayal of the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on a float featured in a ‘shaheedi diwas’ or martyrdom day event in Brampton, a town in the GTA, on June 4.

This event marked the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, during which Indian security forces launched an operation at the Golden Temple.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two members of her security team on October 31 of that year.

In the same vein, there has been limited criticism concerning the billboards and posters of Talwinder Singh Parmar at certain extremist gurdwaras in Canada.

Parmar is regarded as the mastermind behind the terrorist bombing of Air India Flight 182, known as the Kanishka.

This attack on June 23, 1985, resulted in 329 fatalities, making it the deadliest terrorist incident in Canada’s history.

In fact, pro-Khalistan groups organised a procession in honour of Parmar to the Air India memorial in Toronto in June of this year.

According to the HT report, Dr Azad Kaushik, president of the National Alliance of Indo-Canadians or NAIC, said, “Such doublespeak is reprehensible.”

“Silence of our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is baffling at best, as he never condemned the deplorable incident,” he added, in the context of the warning by the separatist  group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ to Hindu Canadians of Indian origin to leave the country, the HT report said.

SFJ, however, had contended Hindus had rejoiced over Nijjar’s death.

Tudeau's statement in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were “credible allegations”  of India's role in that murder, of course, has widened the rift in Canada-India relations.

Nijjar was SFJ’s main handler in British Columbia and the group has said it feels “emboldened” by Trudeau’s statement and holds remarks made by political leaders in the House on September 18 as an acceptance of the Khalistan referendum, according to the HT report.