Khalistan Referendum votes held at Nijjar's Surrey gurdwara

Who: Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as co-organiser; volunteers and voters at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia; and the gurdwara's former president, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, shot dead there in June 2023, whom The Canadian Press described as an organiser of the referendum in Canada.

What: On Sunday 10 September 2023 the first Surrey round was held at the gurdwara. The vote had been planned for a Surrey school, but the school district cancelled the rental, saying promotional posters showed a weapon beside the school's name. A volunteer called the cancellation a slap in the face. Global News reported "tens of thousands" of voters and said organisers estimated more than 100,000; the report did not verify the figure and said the vote is unofficial and not binding. Organisers said the vote was so popular that voting could not be finished in one day.

Eight days later, on 18 September, Trudeau told Parliament there were "credible allegations" of an Indian link to Nijjar's killing. On Sunday 29 October the second round was held at the same gurdwara. Sarbraj Kahlon, news director at Radio Punjab, who was at the site, said 65,700 people voted that day, and unnamed officials put the total across the two Surrey votes at more than 200,000. Pannun said more votes were planned for 2024 in Abbotsford, Edmonton, Calgary and Montreal.

Where: Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Surrey, British Columbia.

Why it mattered: The vote ended up at the gurdwara where Nijjar was killed because the school booking was cancelled. A volunteer told Global News the community was still grieving and frustrated with the slow police investigation. Pannun said Trudeau's statement had opened more public conversation in Canada about India and the Khalistani movement. India has long held that the Punjabi independence movement threatens its national security, and it denies any involvement in Nijjar's death.

Every figure here comes from organisers or from one reporter on the day, and the Global News reports treat them as unverified. They show a very large turnout, but not how many individuals voted or whether anyone voted in both rounds.