Thousands of Sikh voters are expected to head to Surrey City Hall in Metro Vancouver today to vote in an unofficial referendum amid ongoing tensions between Canada and India.

The organizers said that the referendum on Khalistan, an independent state in India proposed by some Sikhs, is being held at the same gurdwara where activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June.

Today's vote is the second round of the referendum in British Columbia, after organizers said the first ballot held on September 10 was so popular that voting could not be completed in one day.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the House of Commons on September 18 that there are "credible allegations" that could link the Indian government to Nijjar's murder.

Also, the voting spokesperson, Gurbantwant Singh Pannun, said Trudeau's statement has created more open conversations about India and its handling of the Khalistani independence movement, while allowing its supporters to become more vocal without fear of retaliation.

Nijjar was one of the organizers of the Khalistan referendum in Canada, and voting has also taken place at several other locations around the world.

The Indian government has denied any involvement in Nijjar's murder and has long maintained that the Punjab independence movement undermines India's national security.