Canadian Sikh protests outside Indian mission off to a muted start

A handful of members of a Canadian Sikh group gathered outside the Indian diplomatic mission in Toronto on Monday, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhi's involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia.

The protests, which are also planned in Ottawa and Vancouver, are aimed at increasing public awareness about India's alleged role in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a high Sikh population, one organizer told Reuters.

Between 100 and 150 members were expected to join the protests, Jatinder Singh Grewal, a director of the group Sikh for Justice in Canada, said, but only a dozen people had gathered in front of the Indian consulate in Toronto around noon when the demonstration was set to begin.