Vancouver [Canada], June 8 : An independant Canadian investigative journalist on Sunday alleged that he was physically assaulted and "threatened" by a group of Khalistan supporters and had his phone snatched while reporting their rally in Vancouver.
The journalist, Mocha Bezirgan, who posted his ordeal on social media platform X said that the Khalistani extremist movement in Canada has raised serious security concerns and strained ties between India and Canada.
"It just happened two hours ago and I'm still shaking," Bezirgan toldin a phone interview. "They acted like thugs - crowding in on me, grabbing my phone, trying to stop me recording."
The incident occurred while Bezirgan was in Vancouver city to cover a rally organised by Khalistan supporters. The Canadian journalist described the attack as "thuggery" and said he was targeted for his editorial independence and past coverage of Khalistan-related protests.
Earlier he took to X to post, "I've been surrounded by a group of Khalistanis who grabbed my phone out of my hand and threatened me. Naturally I'm a bit shaken, but not deterred."
Bezirgan further said that the pro-Khalistan movement has led to acts of vandalism, intimidation, and violent rhetoric, despite not being widespread within the Sikh community.
On being asked about Khalistani extremism, the Canadian investigative journalist said, "This is a movement headed by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). They are the ones organising it, and most of the time, it's the same people attending these protests, whether it be in Ontario, British Columbia, US, UK, New Zealand. They mobilise people to come from local Gurudwaras to create a little bit of crowd, but there are bigger political organizations like the World Sikh Organization which is based in Canada and they are they have a troubled history and they do the political cover in Canada.
He highlighted that larger political organizations such as the World Sikh Organization, based in Canada, provide political cover for the movement. "Their executives include current and former MPs and ministers, who have spread influence across Canadian institutions," said the Canadian journalist.
Bezirgan also expressed concern over the reluctance of Canadian politicians to condemn these extremist groups. "Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, the NDP, and some Liberal MPs recently attended a Nagar Kirtan in Surrey, BC, which had significant Khalistani influence. They shared the stage with Santokh Singh Kelha, a convicted Sikh Canadian who conspired to bomb an airplane," Bezirgan said.
Bezirgan condemned the glorification of violence by these groups, who the journalist said speak openly about plans to ambush and kill India's current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"...Because of the tensions between Canada and India, it's a very highly political subject, but I feel like we are disregarding what's happening underground. What these people are saying, how they are exercising their free speech while they are celebrating the assassins of Indira Gandhi and saying that they are going to ambush and kill India's Prime Minister, Modi's politics at the G7. I asked them Are you going to kill his politics the same way you killed Indira Gandhi's politics? Because they refer to the assassins as their forefathers. They say we are the descendants of the killers of Indira Gandhi, and they are glorifying these acts of violence..."
"It is disturbing that Canadian politicians continue to associate with such extremists, despite their violent history and inflammatory rhetoric," Bezirgan said. He warned that lack of media coverage and public awareness in Canada allows such events and political participation to go unchecked.
Bezirgan called for greater accountability and awareness to prevent normalization of extremism. "As a citizen, I expect my representatives to distance themselves from extremists and those with violent pasts."
The investigative journalist emphasized that ignoring these issues would embolden extremist groups and escalate tensions between India and Canada.
"Today's thuggery I was subjected to was not the first time," said the journalist who posted visuals on his social media platform X about an event from March 2024 when "Khalistan supporters, armed with daggers, swords, and spears, gathered in Edmonton, Alberta to protest against India's high commissioner to Canada."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed on June 6 that he will represent India at the upcoming G-7 summit in Canada next week, after he was invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a telephone call.
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