Mocha Bezirgan, a Canada-based investigative journalist, has alleged he was physically assaulted and threatened by Khalistani supporters during a public gathering in Vancouver. The crowd had assembled to pay tribute to what they termed “martyrs”—including the assassins of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

What Bezirgan said about the public assault?

In a series of social media posts on Sunday, Bezirgan described the ordeal, stating it occurred just hours earlier. “I am still shaking,” he wrote. “I was surrounded by multiple Khalistanis who acted like thugs. They threatened me, got physical with me, and even grabbed my phone.”

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The journalist, who has previously reported on Khalistan-related events in the UK, US, and New Zealand, said that his independent editorial stance appears to frustrate extremist factions. “They want to influence me, even buy me,” he said, alleging that the individual who assaulted him has a long history of online harassment and is not even a Canadian citizen, but from the UK.

Police case filed

Bezirgan noted that while recording the event, one individual aggressively approached him, prompting him to start filming with his phone. “The moment I started recording, they turned their faces away—but one kept coming closer and eventually snatched my phone,” he said.

He confirmed that local police intervened at the scene, instructing the alleged harasser to stop his behaviour. Bezirgan has previously filed complaints against the same individual. “He should be deported back to the UK,” he stated, expressing disappointment over the lack of decisive action.

Bezirgan later revealed he had more footage to upload, documenting how he was followed even after leaving the event. “He tailed me all the way to the train station,” he said.

Rally organised by Sikhs for Justice

Bezirgan identified Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) as the primary organisers of the rally. “It’s mostly the same faces showing up at events in Ontario, BC, the US, and even New Zealand,” he said. While local Gurudwaras help with mobilisation, Bezirgan pointed to more powerful political bodies such as the Canada-based World Sikh Organization, which he said provides “political cover.”

He noted that events like these often slide under the radar, despite promoting extremist ideologies. “We’re ignoring what’s happening underground. These people celebrate the killers of Indira Gandhi and openly discuss ‘killing the politics’ of Indian PM Modi.”

One of the most disturbing aspects of the incident, according to Bezirgan, is the kind of rhetoric being expressed openly. “They refer to the assassins of Indira Gandhi as their forefathers. They say they are the descendants of those killers and glorify their actions,” he said.

In another alarming statement, Bezirgan claimed that some protesters at the Vancouver rally spoke of “ambushing” and “killing” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s politics during the upcoming G7 event in Alberta.

He posed a provocative question to attendees: “Are you going to kill his politics the same way you killed Indira Gandhi’s politics?”

Suicide bombers and ‘martyrdom’

Bezirgan also highlighted that among those honoured at the event were two young girls—Bibi Satnam Kaur and Bibi Waheguru Kaur—who were reportedly used as suicide bombers against Indian Army tanks. According to him, the inclusion of these individuals as “martyrs” raised further concerns over the radical messaging being promoted at such gatherings.

Canada-India tensions

Amid the fraught Canada-India relationship, particularly around the issue of Khalistani separatism, Bezirgan warned that the political sensitivity of the subject should not be used to overlook the underground extremist sentiment being cultivated.

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“Because of the tensions between Canada and India, this is a highly political subject—but we are disregarding what is happening underground,” he said.

PM Narendra Modi on Friday confirmed he would attend the G7 Summit in Canada after an invitation from newly elected Canada PM Mark Carney.

(With inputs from ANI)