Nancy Grewal murder: Canadian Jewish groups seek terror tag for Khalistani extremists

Fourteen organisations urge Ottawa to treat Khalistan outfits on par with Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, all proscribed terror entities under Canadian law.

Over a dozen Canadian Jewish organisations have called on Ottawa to treat Khalistani terrorists with the same severity as it does groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Each of those groups is currently a proscribed terror entity under Canadian law.

Punjab-origin social media influencer and Khalistan critic Nancy Grewal was found with critical injuries at a residence in LaSalle, Ontario, on March 2 and later died in a hospital. (File photo)

The joint call from 14 organisations came on Friday following the murder of Punjab-origin social media influencer and Khalistan critic Nancy Grewal. Grewal was found with critical injuries at a residence in LaSalle, Ontario, on Monday night and later died in a hospital.

‘Systemic failure’

In a strongly worded statement, the groups said the Canadian Jewish community was “heartbroken” over the murder of Grewal, a Sikh Canadian woman who “fearlessly spoke out about the dangers of Khalistani terrorism here on Canadian soil, and faced constant harassment from lawless thugs because of it”.

“Unfortunately, as is far too often the case in Canada, law enforcement ignored the threat to Nancy’s life and she was murdered brutally in her home,” the release said. Referring to social media posts from pro-Khalistan handles claiming credit for the killing, the groups pledged to stand by Sikhs and Hindus who oppose such extremism.

“We implore all levels of government and law enforcement to take this matter seriously and treat Khalistani terrorists as we do the IRGC, Hamas and Hezbollah,” the statement concluded. Among the signatories was the Tafsik Organisation, which termed the lack of protection for Grewal a “national disgrace”.

The issue was also flagged by Canadian MP Shuv Majumdar. “Canada cannot become a playground for violent extremists... Khalistan. Hamas. IRGC. Extortion. Murder. Terror. Enough,” he posted on X.

Police rule out random violence

While Canada currently lists Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as terror entities, the Jewish groups are seeking a broader crackdown.

Grewal had told CBC News in late February that she had reported at least 40 death threats to the police.

LaSalle police chief Michael Pearce said on Thursday that investigators are confident the murder was “not a random act of violence” and was an “intentional act against her”. LaSalle, a suburb of Windsor, became Grewal’s home after she moved from Calgary following her divorce. Detectives are currently seeking surveillance footage, though no suspects are in custody.

In her final videos, Grewal took a strident stand against pro-Khalistan elements, accusing politicians of ignoring the threat for the sake of “vote banks”. “I’m a Canadian citizen but I don’t feel safe in this country right now,” she had warned.

CBC News reported an unverified post from what was described as a Khalistani extremist social media account claiming credit for the murder. The post, in Punjabi, said, “This woman was saying bad things about religion and Khalistan. And she got the result of that.”

In Jalandhar, Grewal’s mother, Shinderpal Kaur, 70, told Hindustan Times that her daughter frequently challenged hardliners, often using the derisive term ‘Khotaistanis’ (fake nationalists).

Meanwhile, secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) distanced itself from the killing, claiming the movement answers dissent through “votes—not violence”. It was referring to the so-called Khalistan Referendum. The SFJ said its principle was clear that critics “face a referendum – not death.”