Thousands of Sikh voters are expected to turn out today in the Metro Vancouver municipality of Surrey, to vote in an unofficial referendum at the centre of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 ongoing tensions with India.

Organizers say the referendum on Khalistan B次元官网网址� an independent state in India proposed by some Sikhs B次元官网网址� is taking place at the same Surrey gurdwara where activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June.

TodayB次元官网网址檚 vote is the second round of the referendum in British Columbia, after organizers said the first ballot on Sept. 10 was so popular that voting couldnB次元官网网址檛 be completed in one day.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the House of Commons on Sept. 18 that there were B次元官网网址渃redible allegationsB次元官网网址� potentially linking IndiaB次元官网网址檚 government to NijjarB次元官网网址檚 killing.

Ballot spokesman Gurpatwant Singh Pannun says TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 statement has created more open conversations around India and its handling of the Khalistani independence movement, while allowing its supporters to become more vocal without fear of retribution.

Nijjar was an organizer of the Khalistan referendum in Canada, and votes have also been held in several other locations around the world.

The Indian government has denied involvement in NijjarB次元官网网址檚 death and has long maintained that the Punjabi independence movement undermines IndiaB次元官网网址檚 national security.

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