In a provocative move, the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), in collaboration with the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, has opened a so-called “Embassy of Khalistan.” The makeshift diplomatic post, bearing signage of the fictional “Republic of Khalistan,” has been set up within a building on the gurdwara premises—raising fresh concerns over Canada’s handling of anti-India extremism.
What’s even more alarming is that the building housing the so-called embassy was reportedly funded with taxpayer money. Locals told CNN-News18 that the British Columbia government had recently allocated $150,000 for installing an elevator in the same structure.
This development comes just weeks after Canada’s intelligence agency, CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service), publicly acknowledged that Khalistani extremists continue to use Canadian soil as a base for promoting, fundraising, and planning violence—primarily targeting India. It marked the first time CSIS explicitly named Khalistani elements in its annual report as a politically motivated violent extremism (PMVE) threat.
The report confirmed India’s long-standing concerns, noting that since the 1980s, Canada-based Khalistani extremists have attempted to leverage violent means to push their separatist agenda, seeking an independent Khalistan in Indian Punjab. PMVE, as defined by CSIS, involves efforts to reshape political systems through violent or coercive means.
India has repeatedly raised objections to Ottawa’s laxity in curbing such groups, accusing it of allowing terrorism to flourish under the guise of free expression. The creation of a fake “embassy” on Canadian soil, aided by public funds, is now likely to escalate diplomatic tensions even further.
With the CSIS report and the public unveiling of this so-called embassy, the spotlight is once again on Canada’s controversial tolerance of separatist extremism.
