Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed that his government will always "protect" the "rights and freedoms" of the Sikh community in the country.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressing the Khalsa Day nagar kirtan in Toronto on Sunday afternoon. (HT photo) Trudeau made these remarks while addressing the gathering at the Khalsa Day Parade in downtown Toronto on Sunday afternoon. "To the nearly 800,000 Canadian of Sikh heritage, we will always be there to protect your rights and freedoms and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination," he said.

HT launches Crick-it, a one stop destination to catch Cricket, anytime, anywhere. Explore now! Trudeau was accompanied by four Cabinet ministers and four Liberal Party MPs on the stage. As he arrived on the podium, he was greeted with shouts of "Khalistan Zindabad" from some elements in the gathering, and those chants were repeated as he completed his brief speech.

"Your right to practice your religion freely and without intimidation, is exactly that, a fundamental right guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, that we will always stand up and defend you for. We will stand with you," he said.

Trudeau did not allude to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18 last year. Relations between India and Canada cratered after his statement in the House of Commons three months later that there were "credible allegations" of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing.

In fact, his reference to India was in the context of increasing cooperation in air connectivity, as he said, "I know that many of you have loved ones that you want to see more often. That's why our government has negotiated a new agreement with India to add more flights and ,or routes between our countries and we will keep working with our counterparts to add even more flights including to Amritsar."

Others addressing the nagar kirtan, as the Vaisakhi celebration is also called, included leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre and Toronto mayor Olivia Chow. The annual event has been organised by the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwara Council (OSGC) since 1986, and celebrates the establishment of the Khalsa order in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, as well as the harvest season, the traditional new year observed across India.

The venue, Nathan Philips Square, also witnessed numerous Khalistan pennants and signage attacking the Indian government, as the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SF)J announced it will hold the next phase of the so-called Khalistan Referendum in Calgary, in the province of Alberta, on July 28. SFJ's general-counsel Gurpatwant Pannun described Trudeau's speech as "reassuring" and said the referendum will be dedicated to Nijjar.