Posters against envoys taken off gurdwara where Nijjar was killed

AMRITSAR: Posters threatening to harm Indian diplomats put up outside the gurdwara in Canada's Surrey where Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed this June have been taken off, with sources pointing to "pressure" from the authorities there amid escalating Ottawa-New Delhi tensions over the Khalistan Tiger Force chief's murder.
The posters at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in British Columbia's Surrey had set off alarm bells for New Delhi. Nijjar is wanted in India by the NIA for his role in terror activities.
A video, sent to TOI, shows some persons removing the posters, some bearing pictures of Nijjar and the others holding three Indian diplomats in Canada responsible for his killing in the gurdwara parking lot by two masked gunmen on June 18.
According to sources, the local authorities in British Columbia exerted pressure on both the gurdwara management and local pro-Khalistan leaders to pull down the posters. The removal of the posters is being seen as a step to convey a positive message to New Delhi, signalling Ottawa's proactive stance in addressing concerns related to anti-India elements operating on its soil.
Following Nijjar's killing, pro-Khalistan leaders, especially Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the outlawed SFJ, had called for action against the three Indian diplomats and announced a $10,000 reward for information about their addresses.
In recent weeks, after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged a link between Nijjar's killing and the expulsion of an Indian diplomat, New Delhi responded with a tit-for-tat expulsion of a senior Canadian envoy.
India has also downsized its diplomatic mission in Canada and suspended visa services. On September 19, India expelled a Canadian diplomat and told Ottawa to downsize its missions in India.