Canada: Pro-Khalistan Groups Glorify Assassination of Punjab Chief Minister

Pro-Khalistan groups in Canada have once again sparked outrage by publicly honoring the suicide bomber responsible for the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995. On Saturday, these radical groups staged rallies in Toronto and Vancouver, featuring floats that depicted the deadly attack and glorified the perpetrator.

In Vancouver, the float displayed a bombed car covered in blood, with photographs of the slain Chief Minister. The words “Beanta Bombed to Death” were prominently displayed, along with a tribute to Dilawar Singh Babbar, the suicide bomber who carried out the attack.

A similar rally took place in Toronto, led by Inderjeet Singh Gosal, who described supporters of the Khalistan Referendum as “offspring” of Babbar. Gosal, an associate of Sikhs for Justice general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun, has been warned by Canadian law enforcement about potential threats to his life.

The assassination of Beant Singh in 1995 resulted in the deaths of 17 people. The terrorist organization Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), which has been listed as a proscribed terrorist entity in Canada, claimed responsibility for the attack.

In recent months, pro-Khalistan groups in Canada have staged several events that promote violence and glorify the assassinations of Indian political leaders. In June, a float depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi was featured in a parade in Brampton. This followed a similar display at a protest in Vancouver, prompting condemnation from Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

These provocative actions have raised concerns about the growing influence of extremist groups in Canada and their potential to incite violence.