Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer with Sikhs For Justice, stated he fears Sikhs might determine to take it upon themselves to defend their neighborhood.
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After a taking pictures Thursday focused the house of an affiliate of Hardeep Nijjar, a gaggle advocating for Sikh independence says it’s involved a scarcity of safety from Canadian authorities may see members of B.C.’s Sikh neighborhood take issues into their very own palms.
Surrey RCMP stated the remoted taking pictures on Feb. 1 at 1:21 a.m. occurred when an unknown suspect fired on the dwelling within the 2800 block of 154th Avenue.
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“We’re working to find out the motive,” Sgt. Tammy Lobb stated in a press release Friday.
Members of Surrey’s Sikh neighborhood consider the taking pictures is linked to Indian international interference as a result of the focused dwelling belongs to Nijjar’s shut good friend Simranjeet Singh, based on Moninder Singh, spokesman of the B.C. Gurdwaras Council.
Nijjar was president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and had been organizing an unofficial referendum for an unbiased Sikh state in India’s Punjab province when he was gunned down in the parking zone of the gurdwara June 18. The federal authorities believes Nijjar’s assassination was carried out by brokers of the Indian authorities, though India denies involvement.
“Simranjeet has no legal file or something however is understood for the pro-Khalistani activism work he does and for being a detailed good friend of Nijjar’s. He’s a volunteer on the similar Surrey gurdwara,” Moninder Singh stated.
On the time of Thursday’s taking pictures, Simranjeet Singh — a younger father — had simply arrived dwelling.
Moninder Singh stated Simranjeet’s six-year-old son was asleep in his mattress when the pictures fired into the house narrowly missed the teenager.
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“The pictures went by his son’s headboard … it simply brings again the fact that some Sikhs are in peril.”
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer with Sikhs For Justice, stated he fears Sikhs might determine to take it upon themselves to defend their neighborhood.
“They need to not reply or reply with violence — in any respect,” stated Pannun. “Nonetheless, at any time when Sikhs are attacked, they’ve a historical past of defending their neighborhood and religion, combating tooth and nail.”
Pannun stated the Sikh associates of Nijjar are being handed “responsibility to warn” letters by Canadian intelligence officers.
Pannun is vital of such notices.
“The federal government has a constitutional responsibility to guard the lifetime of all residents, issuing notices to doable victims is simply not sufficient,” he stated.
One in all Nijjar’s two sons, Balraj, stated that within the months earlier than Nijjar was murdered, Canadian intelligence officers warned his father to keep away from being seen in public and attending the gurdwara.
After Nijjar’s assassination, Premier David Eby assured residents the province would take part within the homicide investigation, and that if every other residents had been discovered to be underneath menace they’d be protected.
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In June, Eby referred to as on the federal authorities to offer all info associated to international interference and “transnational organized crime threats,” so the province can shield residents in danger.
Anybody with extra info, together with dashcam or CCTV footage, is requested to name police at 604-599-0502.
— With information from the Canadian Press
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