Recalled Indian Excessive Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma recounted a terrifying expertise the place Khalistani sympathisers brandished a sword at him throughout an occasion in Alberta province.
He additionally mentioned there have been a few instances once they got here “very shut” to bodily hurt the Indian diplomats.
The incident got here amid a diplomatic standoff between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The tensions escalated after Verma and different diplomats, who have been recalled by India, have been named as ‘individuals of curiosity’ within the probe linked to Nijjar’s killing by Canadian authorities.
Narrating his expertise, Verma mentioned, “Sure, a few instances, they got here very near bodily harming us.”
#WATCH | “…Sure, a few instances they got here very near bodily hurt us…They have been carrying a sword, it was not a Kirpan…Once I was in Alberta a sword got here round 2-2.5 inches near my physique…,” says Recalled Indian Excessive Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma whereas… pic.twitter.com/y4QCjAqFHu
— ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2024
“I used to be in a metropolis in Alberta the place the Indian neighborhood had organized a dinner and cultural programmes. It was a enterprise occasion being held in a conference corridor. Exterior the venue, 150 individuals have been holding a pro-Khalistani protest,” he informed information company ANI.
The protestors blocked the venue’s entrance, he mentioned, including that the Royal Canadian Mount Police and native police had additionally not thought such a factor would occur.
“Once I entered the conference corridor together with my spouse, one sword, not a ‘kirpan’ got here round two to two-and-a-half inches near my physique,” he mentioned.
Kirpan is a sort of knife which is without doubt one of the 5 articles of religion {that a} Sikh wants to hold as a part of their faith.
“They might not know the distinction between kirpan and sword. In our nation, Sikhs are patriotic and we’ve got seen them. We all know what’s the distinction between a sword and a kirpan,” Verma mentioned.
Earlier than the assault, the RCMP gave shut and detailed safety to Verma and his two consul-generals following an evaluation that they may very well be bodily harmed, the ambassador mentioned.
Following the assault, Verma mentioned he was instantly escorted however he was not knowledgeable concerning the particulars of the questioning carried out by the police later following the incident.