Video of ‘pro-Khalistan’ rally in Canada falsely linked to Delhi CM Kejriwal

What is the claim?

A video circulating on social media purports to show a 'pro-Khalistan rally' celebrating the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from jail. The footage features a rally with a float depicting Indian Prime Minister Modi in prison attire, standing behind bars, while rally participants chant pro-Khalistan slogans. 

The video was shared by several users on X (formerly Twitter), all making the same claim. One user wrote, "A campaign in Canada after the release of Kejriwal. Khalistani separatist celebration of Kejriwal's release in Canada. Just imagine how deeply rooted Kejriwal is. He's the most dangerous person, capable of acting against India (sic)." Archived versions of such posts can be viewed here and here.

The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement that seeks to establish an ethno-religious state called Khalistan, which would serve as an independent homeland for India’s Sikh minority.

Screenshots of the viral posts. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21, 2024, in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case and was released on interim bail on May 10. He has denied the charges against him, calling his arrest "illegal."

However, the claim is false. The viral video was recorded before Kejriwal’s release on May 10 and shows a pro-Khalistan rally, where a float targeted Modi, alleging his involvement in the killing of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

How did we find the truth?

We reviewed the viral video and noticed a TikTok username, @mani86137, on the clip. Further research revealed that the video was uploaded on TikTok (archive here) from the account "mani86137" on May 6, 2024, with the title, ‘malton nagarakirtan2024 | modi di ਕੁੱਤੇਖਾਣੀ.’

The video shows a rally with a float of Modi dressed in prison garb and standing behind bars. The banners on the float read, “CITIZENS COURT OF CANADA. TO SENTENCE MODI, CRIME: ASSASSINATION OF NIJJAR, 18 JUNE, 2022, VANCOUVER, CANADA.” 

Screenshot of the original TikTok video published on May 6. (Source: TikTok/Screenshot)

However, as stated above, the Supreme Court of India only granted interim bail to Kejriwal on May 10, 2024. This makes it clear that the claim connecting the viral video with Kejriwal as a ‘campaign in Canada after release of Kejriwal’ is false as the video has been available online since at least May 6, several days before the Delhi CM’s release on May 10. 

What does the viral video actually show?

On May 8, the Independent reported a controversial rally held in Malton, a neighborhood in Ontario, Canada, on May 5. At the rally, a tableau showed Modi behind bars. The report also included X posts with videos showing scenes similar to those of the viral video. It stated that hundreds of people raised pro-Khalistan slogans at the rally. One of the X posts captioned the video as “Malton to Rexdale Nagar Kirtan 2024.”

A May 8 report by Hindustan Times also featured visuals of the same float. The report noted that the incident took place on May 5 in Malton. India Today reported that the Ontario Gurdwara Committee organized the Nagar Kirtan parade.

A post (archive here) on the Instagram page of the Ontario Gurdwara Committee from May 3 announced that a Nagar Kirtan Parade would be held on May 5 from Malton Gurdwara Sahib to Rexdale Gurdwara Sahib. The post added that the Nagar Kirtan was being held to commemorate the Khalsa Panth and the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar—an Indian Army operation on the Golden Temple in Punjab’s Amritsar carried out in June 1984.

On May 7, in response to media queries about the float in Malton, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "As you are aware, we have repeatedly raised our strong concerns regarding the violent imagery being used by extremist elements in Canada against our political leadership.” He added that in 2023, a float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was used in a procession. 

The statement continued, “We again call upon the Government of Canada to stop providing criminal and secessionist elements with a safe haven and political space in Canada.”

Nijjar, a separatist leader involved with the Khalistan movement, was killed on June 18, 2023. India-Canada diplomatic relations have been strained since then after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian government had a hand in the killing of Nijjar. Supporters of the Khalistani movement have also alleged India’s involvement in the killing. On May 3, 2024, Canadian police arrested and charged three Indian men with the murder of Nijjar and said they were probing whether the men had a connection to the Indian government.

We found no evidence of a connection between the rally in question and Kejriwal.

The verdict

The video depicts a pro-Khalistan rally in Canada, where people also protested against Prime Minister Modi over allegations of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s killing. It has been falsely passed off as a celebratory rally taken out after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s recent release from jail. The video was captured before Kejriwal’s interim bail on May 10 and is unrelated. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.