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 Canada鈥檚 ongoing tensions with India.

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

Today鈥檚 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 couldn鈥檛 be completed in one day.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the House of Commons on Sept. 18 that there were 鈥渃redible allegations鈥� potentially linking India鈥檚 government to Nijjar鈥檚 killing.

Ballot spokesman Gurpatwant Singh Pannun says Trudeau鈥檚 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 Nijjar鈥檚 death and has long maintained that the Punjabi independence movement undermines India鈥檚 national security.

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