Khalistani 'goons' horror in Canada: India's Sanjay Verma says ‘sword came 2 inches close to my body’

Sanjay Verma, Indian high commissioner who was recalled from Canada, said the Khalistanis surrounded the exit gate and attacked him.

Sanjay Verma, Indian high commissioner who was recalled from Canada, recounted a frightening incident on Thursday in which Khalistani assailants attacked him with a sword in Alberta while he was with his wife.

Recalled high commissioner of India to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma. (REUTERS)

In an interview with news agency ANI, Sanjay Verma described how the Khalistani “goons” came dangerously close to injuring him, noting that they wielded a sword—not a ‘kirpan’ religious symbol—but a weapon capable of causing harm.

“Yes, a couple of times they came very close to bodily harm us...They were carrying a sword, it was not a kirpan...When I was in Alberta a sword came around 2-2.5 inches close to my body," ANI quoted Sanjay Verma as saying.

The recalled Indian high commissioner also said he was accompanied by his wife. “When I was in Alberta my wife was also with me...,” he said.

Sanjay Verma said the Khalistanis surrounded the exit gate and attacked him. “I was in a city in Alberta. And there the Indians had a dinner party which also had cultural programmes, where it was expected that I would meet the Indians. And that was a business event. So many businessmen from Canada were there. And the main thing was how we could advance the business relationship, what new things we could bring, what new sectors we could bring. This was in a convention hall,” he said.

"Outside, around 150 people were there who were doing bad things in the name of Khalistan. And they surrounded the entrance from which I had to go. When I entered, there were RCMP and local police. Alberta is our good friend. Local police were present there. But maybe they didn't think that they would do such a bad thing. My wife was accompanying me. When I was passing, there was a sword. They may not know the difference between sword and a kirpan. But we Indians who have seen Sikhism, who are so patriotic, where we have seen them, by the grace of Wahe Guru, we know the difference between a sword and a kirpan. So this was a sword, which came about 2 to 2.5 inches away from my body," Sanjay Verma recalled the horror in the interview.

Verma added that the local police held an interrogation later, and he was not given the details about the same.

“The local police got into action immediately and pushed them back. They also held an interrogation. I was not informed about the final results. We also informed the Global Affairs of Canada about the incident. They also believed that this is not right. And we also tried to explain to them that there is a difference between a sword and a kirpan. There is a difference between a spear and a kirpan. And this is not a religious belonging that they carry,” he said.

Verma said as per Canada's own assessment was that the Indian diplomats could be harmed. So, they were given protection from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Verma added, "So there are a couple of such incidents. But my main purpose is that the relationship between the two countries should be restored."

Khalistani goons threaten peace-loving Indo-Canadians: Sanjay Verma

Verma said that Khalistani goons threaten peace-loving Indo-Canadians and vandalise their place of worship.

Verma was recalled from Canada after the country said he was a person of interest in the Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder case. However, he denied all charges levelled against him by Ottawa in connection with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The ties between India and Canada soured after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in the Canadian Parliament last year that he has “credible allegations” of India's hand in the killing of Nijjar.

India has denied all the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated” and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.

Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year.

India has expelled six Canadian diplomats hours after it summoned Canada's Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler and conveyed that the “baseless targeting” of the Indian high commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.