The Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, was threatened by Khalistani extremists during a public event in Surrey, British Columbia, on Friday.
Verma, who was attending an event organised by the Surrey Board of Trade (SBoT) and the South Asian Business Association (SABA), was greeted with chants of "Death to Sanjay Verma (Indian High Commissioner)" as he arrived at the Sheraton Hotel, the venue for his meeting with the local business body.
Interestingly, this was Verma's first visit to Surrey since diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Ottawa plummeted following the latter's allegations that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of proscribed Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, who was wanted in several cases in India, including hate crimes, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in British Columbia in June last year.
Despite protests from Khalistani radicals, Verma was unperturbed by the chanting, saying he had expected it.
"The shouting of slogans was along the expected lines. I was the main target. Insults were hurled. Tiranga (Indian tricolour) was disrespected," he said about the protests.