India, June 8 -- Investigative journalist Mocha Bezirgan says he was "surrounded and threatened" by a group of Khalistan supporters and briefly had his phone snatched while filming their weekend rally in downtown Vancouver.

"It just happened two hours ago and I'm still shaking," Bezirgan told news agency ANI in a phone interview. "They acted like thugs - crowding in on me, grabbing my phone, trying to stop me recording."

Bezirgan, who has gained a following for documenting Khalistani demonstrations across Canada, the United States, Britain and New Zealand, said an agitator who has previously harassed him online led Sunday's confrontation.

"All of a sudden I had two or three people up in my face. I started a backup recording on my phone...