The Khalistani organization Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has threatened to "siege" the Indian Consulate in Vancouver on Thursday, September 18, 2025. The group accuses Indian consulates of operating a spy network and conducting surveillance targeting Khalistanis.

In a notice circulating on social media, SFJ declared that they will "lay a historic siege" on the consulate to demand accountability for the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. SFJ has advised Indo-Canadians planning routine visits to the Vancouver Indian Consulate on September 18 to refrain from doing so and choose another date. According to the notice, "Pro-Khalistan Sikhs — torchbearers of Shaheed Nijjar — will lay a historic “SIEGE” of the Consulate to demand accountability for Indian state-directed espionage and intimidation on Canadian soil". The authenticity of the notice circulating online could not be independently verified.

This threat comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that national security authorities had obtained credible intelligence that agents of the Indian government were linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. Nijjar, a prominent community leader and supporter of Sikh separatism, was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia. India's Ministry of External Affairs has vehemently denied the claims, calling them "absurd and motivated".

Following Nijjar's death, protests are slated to take place outside Indian consulates in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal counsel for Sikhs for Justice, stated, "We will not allow the Indian consulates to function, and we're going to push the Canadian government to name the individuals who are responsible for assassinating and giving the orders to hit Nijjar". He added, "He has been assassinated outside the gurdwara — that was being done to give a very strong message to pro-Khalistan Sikhs that they will be hunted, even in the Western world".

Sikhs For Justice is also calling for the expulsion of the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, and urging the Canadian government to label India as a state sponsor of terror. Jaskaran Sandhu, a board member with the World Sikh Organization of Canada, said he wouldn't be surprised if protests take place outside consulates before Sept. 25, calling the intelligence revelation "unprecedented".

In response to the accusations, India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that it rejects "any attempts to connect the Government of India to such developments," calling itself "a democratic polity with a strong commitment to the rule of law". The ministry urged the Canadian government to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil.

Tensions remain high between the Indian and Canadian governments, with demonstrations and calls for the closure of Indian consulates in Canada.