The event was held at the Taj Park Convention Center in Surrey on Sunday to welcome the High Commissioner of India, Sanjay Kumar Verma, on his first visit to the west coast.
Violent protests by pro-Khalistan supporters led to the cancellation of an event in the province of British Columbia, which was to be attended by the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, due to security concerns. The event was held at the Taj Park Convention Center in Surrey on Sunday to welcome the High Commissioner of India, Sanjay Kumar Verma, on his first visit to the west coast. Global News, the news and current affairs division of the Canadian Global Television Network, reported that the program was ultimately canceled due to security reasons.
High Commissioner Verma was going to participate in this program. Indian-origin journalist Sameer Kaushal, who was at the venue to report on the protests, was also attacked by the protesters. Kaushal, a journalist and news director of AM600 Shere Punjab Radio, said that when he reached the venue, he saw a huge protest and the protesters were not allowing him to attend the event. Kaushal told Global News that the situation escalated when he introduced himself as a journalist and asked the protesters if he could speak to their organizers about their concerns.
Kaushal said, “He tried to instigate the entire crowd. About 50 to 60 youths surrounded me, they covered their faces with cloth and they were pushing me and threatening me and abusing me in my mother’s voice. He saw me and pulled me out of the crowd and said, “You have to leave this place for your own safety, because we can’t protect you here.”
Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spokeswoman Vanessa Munn confirmed that police are investigating an alleged assault involving a male victim at the protest and said police were gathering witnesses and video. “The attack on a person in the crowd is being investigated and it appears that he was attacked by several people,” he said. Officers were on scene and witnessed the attack and entered the crowd, intervened and were able to extricate the victim. He was then made to sit at the back of the police car for his safety.
Mun said the victim was taken out of the area and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. He said no arrests have been made at the scene, but the investigation is ongoing. The protest took place amid police crackdown on separatist Amritpal Singh and his associates in Punjab, India. Canada has recently seen an increase in anti-India activities by Khalistan supporters who have also vandalized some Hindu temples.
Disclaimer:Prabhasakshi has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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