In Calgary, Alberta, Canada, individuals associated with pro-Khalistani sentiments reportedly used daggers and swords to tear down the Indian flag. They engaged in altercations with pro-Indian groups present at the scene, causing disturbance on the streets while chanting pro-Khalistan slogans. The incident occurred outside a venue hosting a community event welcoming Sanjay Kumar Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Ottawa, and was captured in a video that circulated widely on social media. The protest was organised by the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). 

The Indian Government, on July 10, 2019, utilized the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to outlaw Sikhs For Justice due to its engagement in activities deemed anti-India. Founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu was labelled a terrorist by the Indian government. The group has advocated for Referendum 2020, aiming for a separate Punjab state independent from India. From its establishment, the organization has sought to entice Punjab's youth with financial incentives to incite rebellion against the Indian government. 

According to reports, over twenty-five individuals with pro-Khalistani affiliations congregated at the venue, with some seen wielding sharp weapons such as daggers and swords. The group was heard chanting pro-Khalistan slogans. In response, the pro-Indian faction countered with chants of 'Hindustan Zindabad' (Long live India). Tensions escalated as the Khalistani individuals used their weapons to defile the Indian flag, an act witnessed by local Canadian law enforcement officers. 

Prior to this incident, there were two similar protests by pro-Khalistan groups on March 1 and 11 at venues where High Commissioner Sanjay Verma was present in Surrey and Edmonton. 

Canada has increasingly become a haven for separatist factions, often engaging in activities hostile towards India and Hindus, including vandalism of the Indian High Commission, desecration of temples, and intimidation of Hindu residents in the country's western regions. 

The diplomatic relations between Canada and India, already strained due to the Canadian government's sheltering of Khalistani extremists and providing them with political and financial support on Canadian soil, reached a nadir last year after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of the murder of proscribed Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. 

Image Source: OpIndia