Toronto, Oct. 21 -- India's high commissioner to Ottawa Dinesh Patnaik has called into question the safety of its citizens in Canada, pointing to the reality that he himself requires protection.

"I find it strange that a High Commissioner here has to be under protection," he said, adding, "I should not be under protection in a country like this if you think it's safe."

His remarks were part of an interview with the network CTV and aired on Sunday, a day after the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ "picketed" his official residence for a 12-hour period. A senior Indian official told the Hindustan Times that India's concerns over the High Commissioner's safety over the matter and his address being plastered all over social media,...