Canadian authorities have withdrawn permission from the organizers of ‘Khalistan Referendum’ to hold voting at the Tamanawis Secondary School in the town of Surrey in British Columbia on September 10, according to a report published by Hindustan Times.
This came after the ‘Khalistan Referendum’ posters featured both an AK-47 machine gun as well as a kirpan. Alongside the images of weapons, the promotional posters also feature pictures of the school.
In an official statement, the Surrey District School Board said the event organizers failed to remove the concerning images despite continuous attempts to address the issue, HT reported.
“As a school district, our primary mission is to provide quality education and support to our students and ensure a safe environment for our school communities. Our agreements, policies, and guidelines, including those for rentals, support our district in creating a safe environment for our community. Anyone renting our facilities must adhere to this,” the statement read as seen by HT.
Last year, the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) proposed the referendum in Mississauga, near Toronto, on 6 November. Despite concerns raised by India over the Khalistan referendum, Canada refused to recognize the objectionable ‘Khalistan’ referendum.
The first such exercise was held at Brampton on 18 September 2022 wherein over 100,000 Canadian Sikhs took part in the voting for the Khalistan Referendum which was organized by pro-Khalistani group SFJ.
The SFJ was banned in India in 2019 as an unlawful association. As part of its separatist agenda, SJF campaigns for a Punjab independence referendum to carve out a separate Khalistan. The Khalistan referendum is a demand to carve out a separate country from Punjab.
Source: mint